


Some Secrets Are Meant To Be Told

by DoveQueen



Series: Gravity Falls - Alane Fanfictions [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Death, Gen, Gore, Secrets, Sorta-Detailed Violence, The Journals (Gravity Falls), Weirdmageddon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-14 03:02:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 55
Words: 112,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11199108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoveQueen/pseuds/DoveQueen
Summary: It's just after the Northwests' annual party, and Dipper is ready for a break from the paranormal. But not even a full day after the borderline traumatic night, a skittish girl with mysterious closed-eye tattoos on her palms arrives in town- and his overly friendly sister invites her to stay with them.The girl is clearly hiding something, and Dipper is bent on finding out what it is. But never did he expect just how extensive her secrets were, or that some of them were tied to his own family.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Haha! Wow- finally got an account on here and I'm movin' over all my fanfiction. Gosh I hope I'm doing this correctly. (Boy, I'm terrible at titles)
> 
> Anywho, some things to note before beginning this book: It's weird. And I mean it gets *really* weird sometimes. Also some violence, though I did leave detail out at those moments, and death, and gore, and, yeah. This book is following the events of the show Gravity Falls with a few twists related to the arrival of my character, Alane.
> 
> Another note: I have yet to read over the book and look for grammar mistakes and spelling errors! I'm aware of a few of them, and I do plan on fixing them eventually, so there's really no need to point them out to me? xD

It was early autumn. The trees surrounding Alane were in the process of changing color, their leaves a rainbow of greens, oranges and yellows. She was looking up at the ones above her blissfully from where she lay as a gust of wind blew over, shaking the branches. A single brown leaf floated down from the tree, landing on her forehead.

She gingerly picked it up by the stem, holding it in front of her face curiously. Alane spun it around, looking at all of the unique and beautiful details on the dead leaf. It was still in her hand when the world began to darken, color draining from the forest around her and everything becoming gray and dreary. The leaf lost it's color too, becoming practically white.

The girl looked up eagerly, a smile on her face as a spot before her began to glow with yellow light. The sky and forest behind the spot swirled around, mixed with the yellow glow as suddenly, a being appeared. "Bill!" She greeted happily.

"Hiya, kid," he greeted, floating over. The yellow triangle dipped his hat to her as he straightened his black bow tie. "Sorry about my absence. I've been sorta preoccupied lately."

"It's fine, I understand," she said with a smile, sitting up and crossing her legs as she set the leaf on the ground besides her. "You're here now, and that's what counts. How are you?"

Bill floated over, picking up the leaf she had just set down before floating about a foot away with it. He studied it with his one eye, turning it slowly. "Good. But I've been thinking about something..." He dropped the leaf onto the ground, a gust carrying it away with the wind.

"Thinking about what?" She asked curiously.

"About what you're doing with your life," he replied, looking back at her. "Since that racing accident, you've just been a recluse." Memories flashed through her mind, and Alane cringed. "It's not a good habit to get into, kid."

"It's just better if I keep away from the humans," she said evenly, looking up at the tree. "They all think I'm dead, anyway."

The triangle floated around her and the tree, arms behind his back. "Yeah, it's probably best you keep away from your old gang. But meeting new humans is always an option. Maybe you should try something new, and, oh, less life-threatening?"

"What are you getting at?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

Bill snapped his fingers, a few pamphlets appearing before him. Each one depicted old buildings surrounded by large, green lawns, on which people walked or sat in groups.. "There are three colleges around here accepting new students. I think you should apply to them and see if you can get in to one."

"And why would I want to do that?" Alane raised an eyebrow questioningly. "I've gone to dozens of schools and had hundreds of tutors these past few hundred years alone. It's not like a college will teach me anything I don't already know."

"Don't be so sure," Bill said, shrugging as the pamphlets vanished. "I hear there's been a lot of scientific breakthroughs lately. Humans are getting smarter, and if you can't learn from them, the least you could do is help them along. I mean, their lifespans are pitifully short and they give up so easily. They could really use your help."

Alane folded her arms across her chest. "How come you want me to attend a college?" She asked. "Up until now, this is the first time you've ever acted like you cared about the human race in the slightest."

He shrugged, turning his back to her. "I haven't been appearing to you lately, but I've been keeping an eye on ya, kid. This is all you ever do anymore, and it's boring the heck outta me. You need to get over what happened during that drag race and start doing stuff again. I mean, really, it's been seventeen years.

"Going to a college would be something you've never done before," he continued, turning back around. "You'll get to meet a bunch of new fleshbags, baffle them with your genius, and then move on after you've had the college experience. It'll just be something to get you back into the swing of things."

Alane had the feeling that there was more behind this than he was letting on, but she didn't press him about it. He'd tell her if he wanted to. "Let's say I go to college. How long should I stay? Where do I even apply? How will I fit in?"

"You stay as long as you want to." Bill rolled his eye, leaning back with his hands behind him as if he were reclining in a chair. "And the nearest college, Backupsmore University, is just a mile from here. You could apply right in the office if you like the place. And fitting in?" He let out a harsh laugh, floating over to Alane and putting an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him. "Kid, you're a shape shifter. If you're worried about looking too young, just make yourself look older. And if you're worried about not fitting in because you're smart, then just act like the average human. You'll blend in with the stupid crowd and not even be noticed."

Bill vanished, reappearing a few feet away from her. "So, what do you say, kid? You gonna go to college?"

A silence stretched out between them for a moment. _I don't especially want to go,_ she thought, looking at the ground as the colorless leaves blew about. _But sitting around in the woods every day is starting to get boring..._

She looked back up at Bill. "How long are applications being accepted at Backupsmore?" She asked.

"For about two more weeks. But the college is so low grade that they'd accept someone with your intellect in an instant, even if you put a form in late."

Alane nodded. "Give me a week to think it over, then."

"Sure thing, kid." Bill gave her a mock salute. "I'll be back in a week to see what you decide."

And with that, he vanished, and Alane blinked open her eyes.

The brown leaf was still on her forehead, her never having really taken it off for she'd been asleep speaking with Bill. As she stared at the underside of it, the wind blew the leaf away. She sat up and watched it get swept off with the hundreds of other fallen leaves.

She let out a long sigh. "College, huh?"


	2. Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alane arrives in Gravity Falls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup yup. It's short. Just a little bit of filler to put under the "part one" separator.

Alane walked quietly along a dirt road, deep in one of Oregon's forests. She had a spring in her step, despite her apparent suspicion of her surroundings. She'd been walking since that morning, as Bill had suggested she should do.

She'd been basically on the run since Ford had told people about her. At first, it was just an occasional wanted poster in a gas station window. But now, after over thirty years, two government agents had apparently been assigned to the hunt. She kept running into them all over the place, but they weren't too great at their jobs, so she always managed to escape.

Her original plan had been to hide in a big city and blend in with the crowd, but then Bill had appeared. His visits had been getting less frequent ever since the university, and she relished when he'd talk to her. He was, after all, the being that basically raised her.

But Bill had only popped by to tell her that the plan would fail, just as it had before. Bill told her that she needed to hide in a small, backwoods town; somewhere that would be overlooked easily. Then like that, he'd left.

So there she was, walking along that dirt road. It'd been miles since she'd seen any signs advertising lodging or towns, and it was beginning to grow dark. Alane didn't tire as easily as humans, but a day full of non-stop walking was beginning to take it's toll on her.

Just as she'd decided to take a break, she caught a glimpse of a sign up ahead. She felt a burst of energy, and quickly walked over to it.

The sign read in bold letters "Welcome To Gravity Falls." Past the sign, at least another mile down the road, a few scattered lights shone in the twilight.

Yes, this place would work perfectly.


	3. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper and Mabel meet Alane.

It was another hot, summer day in Gravity Falls, Oregon. Dipper was walking into town with his sister, Mabel, having made plans to hang out with Wendy and her friends that day. After the whole incident with the ghost at Northwest Manor, Dipper felt like he needed a break from the paranormal that day, and have some time just being a normal kid on summer break.

Mabel skipped alongside him happily, telling Dipper all about what she and her friends, Candy and Grenda, did at the party last night before the ghost thing. Dipper nodded along, occasionally asking "Really?" or saying "Cool," but not entirely listening.

The town was crowded with tourists that day, but Dipper was able to pick out Wendy through the mass of people milling about. He grabbed Mabel's hand, so as not to lose her, then pulled her after him.

"Hey," said Mabel suddenly, curiosity edging her voice. "Who's that talking to Wendy?"

Dipper also noticed the girl talking to his friend. She was fairly short, with brown hair done up in a sort of pony-tail-bun-thing. She was wearing a sort of brown, half-sweater, a white t-shirt and blue jeans, paired with black boots. Her back was to them so he couldn't see her face.

The girl seemed sorta skittish, or at least nervous around the group of teenagers, but Wendy and her friends didn't seem to notice.

"Hi, Wendy!" Mabel called out as they grew closer. Dipper actually winced at her voice, wishing just for a moment that she could've acted a bit cooler and greeted Wendy in a normal tone. Mabel pried Dipper's hand from her's and ran over excitedly, where as Dipper walked a bit slower.

"Oh, hey, Mabel," Wendy said, turning away from the new girl. Robbie, Nate, Lee, Tambry and Thompson were there as well, but they chatted to themselves, leaving the girl standing there awkwardly. "You guys meet Alane yet?"

"Oh my _gosh!_ " Mabel exclaimed, smiling a braces-filled smile at Alane. "I _love_ the sweater! It's so cool that it's like a crop top! I wear sweaters a lot too, even though it's summer. So your name is Alane? That's awesome! My name is Mabel, and this is my brother, Dipper!" Mabel babbled on excitedly as Alane, who had turned around, smiled awkwardly.

"I made the sweater myself," Alane said sheepishly. "Just sort of ran out of yarn and ended it half way through... Wasn't meant to be like this, but it works." She gave a halfhearted laugh. "It's nice to meet you guys."

"Hey, everyone," Dipper muttered as he came up besides Wendy.

"Hey, dude." Wendy punched Dipper lightly on the arm with a grin.

"So are you staying here in town?" Mabel asked Alane after babbling about sweaters and knitting for a minute.

Alane shrugged, crossing her arms in front of her. It looked as if she were giving herself a hug. "I'm looking for a place to stay here for awhile, until my, er... Step dad finishes with his work. I was supposed to stay at the Inn, but it appears to be packed." She gave Mabel a small smile. "I might just end up going to the next town over if I can't find anyplace."

"Oh! Well, you can stay with us!" Mabel told her without hesitation.

"Hey, um, Mabel? Can I talk to you for a second?" Dipper said, grabbing his sister's arm and pulling her aside as Alane processed what Mabel had just said. Her shock was evident on her face.

"What's wrong, broseph?" Mabel asked cheerfully.

"You know what's wrong," Dipper said in a hushed voice. "You can't just invite a stranger to come stay with us!"

"But she seems nice, and she needs a place to stay," Mabel protested.

"Mabel, think about this," Dipper pressed. "We don't know anything about her, aside from her name."

"And that she likes sweaters, knitting, and looks about our age," Mabel pointed out.

"How do you think Stan would react to us inviting her to stay at his place?" Dipper argued. Mabel didn't have a response to this. "Exactly! Plus, there's something I don't trust about her..." He and Mabel glanced back at Alane. Still looking at her, Dipper continued, "something isn't right."

"But Dipper," Mabel said with a sigh. "She's got no place to stay, and she's all alone. We can bring her back to the shack, and then if Stan doesn't want her staying with us, then Soos might be able to at least give her a ride to the next town."

Dipper looked at her, clearly torn. "Please, bro bro?" Mabel asked quietly, giving him puppy dog eyes.

He sighed. "Fine. But for the record, this was your idea."

Mabel smiled happily, giving Dipper a hug before turning around and heading back towards the group. "Sorry about that. So, as I was saying, you can stay with us if you want!" Mabel said cheerfully to Alane once she'd reached her and the others.

Alane gave her a small smile, her blue eyes apologetic. "Thank you for the offer, Mabel, but I don't want to intrude on you and your family."

"No, it's fine, really!" Mabel said. "Our grunkle will be fine with it."

She looked a little confused. "Grunkle means 'great uncle'," Dipper clarified for her.

Alane thanked him with a nod of her head, then paused to think. "I guess," she murmured after a moment. "If it's no bother to you guys..."

"Great!" Mabel said happily, grabbing Alane's hand and hurriedly pulling her across the now fairly deserted town square. "Bye, Wendy!"

"I thought we were gonna hang out at the graveyard..?" Dipper muttered to no one in particular.

"Eh, we can make plans for another day," Wendy told him with a grin. "You better go catch up with your sister."

"See you around," Dipper said, returning her grin before taking off after Mabel and Alane.

"So, how old are you anyway?" Mabel was asking as Dipper came up besides them. He noted that Alane was only a couple inches taller than him and his sister.

"Uh," she stammered. "Fourteen..? Yeah, fourteen."

Dipper was suspicious, but Mabel accepted this answer. "Cool! Dipper and I are twelve."

"Pretty mature for twelve year-olds," Alane said with a small smile.

"How come you're in town alone?" Dipper questioned. "And why don't you have bags?"

"Don't be rude, Dipper," Mabel whispered, elbowing her brother.

"My step dad's line of work requires us to travel a lot," Alane said. There was a tremor in her voice, and Dipper felt like she was lying. "He brings me along whenever he has cross-country trips to make. The plans were to drop me off here for about a week then move on. But, yeah, the Inn was full... And I had bags, but I left them in his truck. I called him up earlier, but by then he was too far to turn around and bring them back."

"So you've got nothing with you?" Mabel said, aghast. "That's terrible!"

Alane shrugged, clearly uncomfortable. "I've got my phone plus cash for food and a room at the Inn. Figure I'll turn the Inn money into clothes money and go shopping tomorrow."

Mabel smiled happily. "You can come shopping with Candy, Grenda and me! It'll be so much fun!"

"That does sound like fun," Alane agreed, returning Mabel's smile. It looked to be the first genuine one she'd made.

 _Something is really wrong here,_ Dipper thought to himself, eyeing Alane while she and Mabel chatted together. _And I'm going to find out what._


	4. Chapter Two

The walk to Dipper and Mabel's house took awhile, but Alane was glad. The more reclusive, the harder it'll be for people to find her.

During the walk over, Alane had decided that she really liked Mabel. She seemed very happy and, with lack of better wording, excitable. She seemed like a really fun person to be around.

Dipper on the other hand, she wasn't sure about. He seemed very suspicious of her from right off the bat, and, though he had good reason to be, Alane didn't like it. If she was going to be staying with them until Bill told her to move on, she'd have to get him to trust her. She didn't want to spend the entire time with them being questioned by a suspicious little kid.

Alane hadn't originally been planning on staying at the Inn in town, or, really, staying in the town itself. Her plan had been to hide out in the woods in a cave of some sort, and only come into town for food if it was needed. But, of course, she'd run into two teenagers named Nate and Lee, and they'd introduced her to Wendy and the others, which led to her meeting Mabel and Dipper.

But, she figured, maybe it was for the best. It would be nice to stay in an actual building for once, after having spent so much time on the road. She felt uncomfortable lying to everyone though, and being around people again after so much time in solitude. But she'd have to get used to it.

Ahead of them loomed a large, wooden building. It was basically in shambles, boards missing here and there and tiles falling from the roof. A large sign on the building read "Mystery Shack", and it, too, was falling apart.

"Welcome to the Mystery Shack!" Mabel said with a little bounce.

"The place has... Character?" Alane offered.

"You bet! And just wait until you see the inside!"

The inside of the shack was much like the outside. Alane wouldn't use the phrase "disgusting" to describe it, but it came pretty close. The interior looked as if it hadn't been cleaned properly in thirty years, and as she stepped through the door, instead of stepping onto the carpet, Alane's foot crushed a Pitt Cola can. Oddly enough, it was still better than any of the places she'd stayed at in weeks.

Alane kept it in mind that she was a guest at the house, and had no right to complain about how it looked. Mabel didn't _have_ to invite her to stay with them, but she had. So she'd try to be a good house guest.

Mabel and Dipper led her into the living room. It was small, with a well-used chair sitting in front of an old television. "Hm," Mabel muttered. "Grunkle Stan isn't here... Can you go see if he's in the gift shop, Dipper?"

"Uh, how about you go see, Mabel?" Dipper suggested.

His sister looked at him skeptically, before nodding. "Fine. You guys stay here, alright? I'll bring him back if I can find him!" Then she left.

Alane could feel the tension in the room now that Mabel was gone. She tried to busy herself by inspecting the various, random knickknacks spread around the room, but she could feel Dipper's eyes on her.

After a moment, she heard the rustle of paper behind her. Curious, Alane turned around. Dipper was standing where he'd been before, a journal now in his hands. It was red and gold colored, with a strange, metallic picture of a six-fingered hand on the front. There was a number three, written in black, on the hand. He was flipping through it quickly, eyes searching the pages for something specific.

 _Hm. Six fingers, just like-_ Alane cut off her train of thought with a slight shake of her head. "Hey, cool journal," she said instead to Dipper, trying to make conversation. "You reading about anything interesting?"

Instead of talking about the book, Dipper visually tensed up. He began to stutter awkwardly as he scanned over a page, "Cool journal? Oh, you mean this thing?" He gave a forced laugh, marking the page then putting the journal back in his vest pocket. "Nah, just a boring old book. Nothing cool in there."

It was obvious that Dipper didn't want her to see the journal. Why he'd taken it out with her in the room, she wasn't sure. But she didn't question him; instead putting up her hands in mock defense. "Okay, kid. Don't freak out, I was just saying it was cool."

"Freak out? Who's freaking ou-" Dipper cut himself off, catching sight of her hands. "Hey, are those tattoos?" Dipper asked, eyes wide.

Alane mentally scolded herself, instantly hiding her hands in her pockets. Now it was her turn to get on the defense. "Oh, what, those things? Nah, just, er, birthmarks. Identical birthmarks... On my hands... Yup."

Dipper was obviously even more suspicious. "Identical, crescent-shaped birthmarks? That some sort of birth defect type thing?"

"R-rude!" Alane stuttered, less from offence and rather from shock that he was so nosy. He seemed a bit ashamed of himself but offered no apology. Alane huffed.

No longer interested in starting a conversation, Alane ignored Dipper until Mabel returned. Being dragged along by the hand behind her was a man dressed in a black suit. He wore a fez and an eye patch over his glasses.

Alane opened her mouth to greet them, when it occurred to her how familiar he looked. She stood there dumbly for a minute, before shaking herself out of it. "Hello," she managed to say, trying to place where she'd seen the man.

"You the girl Mabel told me about?" The man grumbled.

"I assume so?"

"So you need a place to stay?" Alane nodded. "We've got a spare room down the hall. You can stay there until your dad comes to get you."

Alane smiled. "Thank you. I'm really grateful for you guys' hospitality."

He shrugged, trying to make it seem like giving her the room wasn't all that special. Mabel was absolutely beaming from besides Dipper, whom was frowning.

"I need to get back to the shop," the man muttered.

"Oh, wait," Alane said quickly as he turned to go. He stopped and looked at her. "What is your name? Mabel and Dipper simply call you their 'grunkle,' but I don't see me calling you that to be entirely appropriate."

"It's Stan," he said, turning back around and walking away before calling over his shoulder, "Stanford Pines."

Alane actually stumbled back when he said his name. Dipper had a book with a six-fingered hand on it, and he looked so familiar... "S-Stanford Pines?" She stuttered in astonishment.

Stan had already left the room, but both Dipper and Mabel were still there. Mabel smiled cheerfully at her. "Yup! Stanford Pines. He owns the Mystery Shack," she said happily.

 _Maybe it's a different Stanford,_ Alane thought desperately. _He didn't seem to recognize me. And did he even have six fingers? I didn't really notice... But he looks so much like Ford! He's just like him, but older, which is to be expected. Perhaps that head injury was worse than Bill let on? Maybe... Maybe he suffered memory loss and forgot who I am?_

_I shouldn't be here if it's Ford. He's dangerous and unhinged. Plus, it's not like I can just go ask him if he remembers being attacked by a demon, or follow him to count his fingers, to see if it's actually him... I should just leave._

_But it's late, and Bill wanted me to stay put._ It was true, the dream demon had visited her earlier to tell her to hang around Gravity Falls for awhile. _And if this is Ford, would he really try to experiment on me with his niece and nephew present? I could be safe as long as I'm with them, even if it is actually Ford._

"Hey, you alright?" Mabel asked, tugging on Alane's shirtsleeve. She'd been standing as still as a statue, barely even breathing. Her eyes were wide, portraying her shock and fear.

Alane shook herself out of it, looking over at Mabel with a forced smile. She hoped it looked genuine. "Yes, I'm fine. Sorry, my mind just started to wander there. I used to know someone named Stanford, and hearing the name brought back some... Old memories." She gave them a wistful smile, when inside she wanted to cringe.

"You knew someone named Stanford? How cool!" Mabel said.

"Yeah, cool," Dipper muttered.

"Hey, why don't I show you the room?" Mabel suggested. "We might need to straighten things up if you're going to be staying in it. Dipper was the last person in there, and he probably left it a mess!"

Dipper muttered a protest as Alane nodded happily. "I don't mind cleaning up if needed. Lead on to the room?"


	5. Chapter Three

The room was _extremely_ dusty, despite Soos using it as a break room. Alane and Mabel dusted and straightened things up, also opening up a window to air the place out. Dipper joined in on cleaning after Mabel pestered him for a little while, but by then they were pretty much done.

After they'd finished cleaning, Stan had called them to a dinner of pizza leftover from the night before. Alane had told him and Mabel that she'd eaten earlier and wasn't hungry, but after his sister pestered _her_ , she'd given in. Dipper noted that she'd used extremely proper table manners, and had eaten only a single slice of pizza. He also caught Alane watching Stan, more specifically, looking at his hands, on multiple occasions. He was wearing oven mitts all throughout dinner; Dipper didn't understand what could be so interesting about them.

They'd finished dinner in time for a new episode of Mabel and Stan's favorite show: Ducktective. It'd been clear that neither he nor Alane had wanted to watch the show, but both were unwilling to tell Mabel that. They'd ended up watching it, but the second it was over, Alane retreated to the spare room, and Dipper went up to the attic.

The second he'd gotten into the room, he'd taken out the journal and sat on the floor, scanning over pages for a specific entry. He was still there when Mabel came up an hour later.

"Dipper," Mabel sighed, walking over to him. "What are you doing?"

"Alane isn't normal, Mabel," Dipper replied without looking up. "Something is really off about her, and I'm going to find out what."

"You need to stop being so paranoid. It's possible for people to just be weird. Look at me, I'm a prime example!" Mabel squished her face and smiled at Dipper.

"She's not just weird, Mabel. Did you see how she reacted when she heard Stan's name? And how about how she talks? It's like she doesn't believe half the things she says. Then there's the tattoos she has-"

"Alane has tattoos?" Mabel gasped, wide eyed.

"Well, she said they were birthmarks, but I swear they are tattoos! Birthmarks don't look like that."

Mabel eyed Dipper skeptically. "Who are you to judge her weird birthmarks, Dipper? Your's isn't exactly normal, either."

Dipper's face grew red, which received a grin from Mabel. "Yeah, I know my birthmark isn't normal, Mabel. But- here, look!" Dipper picked the journal up off the ground and handed it to Mabel, turning it so she could read the page.

It was the page after the one about Bill Cipher. Most of it was written in code, but there were three large depictions on the page, which were said to be examples of symbols carved by those who worshiped the dream demon. One was an open eye, another a pyramid, and one of a closed eye.

"You see that last one?" Dipper pointed at the closed eye. "Those are what they looked like! Inky-black tattoos just like that on both her hands!"

Mabel looked at the page, her smile wavering for a moment. Dipper grew hopeful that she'd take his side, only to feel those hopes dashed across the rocks as Mabel shut the book with a combined snort and eye-roll.

"You're being too paranoid, bro bro. People can have weird birthmarks, and sometimes they look like stuff that shouldn't be possible." Mabel motioned to Dipper's forehead, where his hair covered up his birthmark that was in the shape of the Big Dipper. "If she says they're birthmarks, that's what they are! I believe her.

"Now go to sleep, Dipper. It's late, and you can be paranoid tomorrow while me and Alane go shopping with Candy and Grenda," Mabel said with a grin, walking over to her bed. She threw back the covers and jumped onto it, sitting down and looking back over at Dipper. "Or would you rather stay up all night and have me watch you through my _skepticals?_ " She put her hands up to her eyes, making imaginary monocles. 

"No, I'll... I'll go to bed," Dipper murmured, walking over to his bed, which was strewn with notes and articles.

Mabel smiled at him, her head tilted slightly. "'Night, Dipper."

"Goodnight, Mabel," he replied as he laid down on his bed.

He didn't get any sleep that night

 

Dipper went downstairs soon after the sun rose. Since he seemed unable to sleep, laying in bed doing nothing was pointless. In his opinion, doing some detective work was a better use of his time, even if it was pointless in Mabel's eyes rather than his.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he hesitated a second. Down the hall to his left was the guest room. Alane was probably asleep. He could sneak in, get a closer look at those "birthmarks" she had on her hands...

 _No,_ he decided, walking towards the living room. _That's taking things a bit too far._ He decided that, instead, he'd go through the journal in front of the TV. At least downstairs, he wouldn't risk waking Mabel up with his muttering and pen-clicking.

He was grinning at the prospect of looking through the journal as he walked into the living room, but as his feet touched the dingy carpet, it dropped away.

Alane was sitting sideways in Stan's chair, her feet over one of the armrests and head on the other. In her hands was a small, fragile-looking journal that had to be at least eighty years old; it's cover was dusty brown and it's pages an off-white. She appeared to be writing in it, and didn't notice Dipper as he walked into the room.

He was baffled as to why she'd be out there so early, and was momentarily too confused to move. After a moment of standing there watching her like an idiot, Dipper cleared his throat. Alane jumped in the chair from surprise before peeking over the book at him.

"Uh," Dipper said awkwardly. "Good morning?"

"Oh, uh, hi," Alane said, equally as awkward and with a small grin. The two of them looked at each other for a moment before Alane slung her feet to the floor, shutting the notebook and clicking the pen she had. "Am I in the way? I-I can go back to the guestroom if you need the living room for something?"

"No, it's fine," Dipper said quietly, eyeing her notebook. He tried to come off as nonchalant as he said, "what you writing about?"

Alane shrugged, casually trying to block the notebook from view from where it now rested on her leg. "Nothing much. Just sorta a diary I keep. Pretty boring stuff."

Dipper felt his heart hammering in his chest. _A diary! If I can get my hands on that, I might get some answers..._ He nodded slowly, trying to make himself appear uninterested in it. "Cool? Anyway, why you up so early? It's like, four in the morning..."

"I'm used to getting up early, and I couldn't get back to sleep." She shrugged. "How about you?"

"Couldn't sleep," he muttered. "I was... Gonna go for a walk."

"Alright," Alane said. "Well, don't let me keep you, I guess." She gave him a friendly smile then opened her notebook up again.

 

Dipper stepped over a large branch in the woods. He figured that since he'd told Alane he was going for a walk, he'd better do just that. Besides, the forest was a good place to read the journal, too.

There was a thin mist near the ground, and each step Dipper took caused it to billow around his legs. He hoped that it'd be gone once the sun rose a little more; he didn't want to get soaked if he sat down somewhere.

The path Dipper was walking on led him to a small stream in the woods. It trickled over rocks and cascaded over tiny waterfalls, sparkling in the early morning light. He found a large, fairly dry rock near the bank and sat down on it. He placed the journal in front of him and opened it up to the page about the worshiper symbols.

"There's gotta be some other connection here..." Dipper muttered to himself, chewing on the pen he brought. "Something that'll prove Alane is working with Bill." He ended with a wide-mouthed yawn, blinking sleepily. Probably wasn't good to go without sleeping that day; he had to keep and eye on Mabel and Alane.

He focused on the journal again, desperately trying to figure out what the code that was spread across the page said. Knowing his luck, the code probably held all the answers he needed. If only he could decipher it...

As he looked down at the pages, the forest around him seemed to grow a grayish-color. He associated it with the sun rising, and didn't give it much thought.

It was about ten minutes later that he looked up from the page when he heard a loud cough. He nearly fell off the rock with surprise.

"Bill!" He exclaimed, hatred clear in his voice. "What do you want?"

"Heya Pine Tree!" Bill greeted him in his harsh voice. He was floating over the stream, staring intently at Dipper with his one eye. "Took you long enough! I've been waiting for you to notice me."

"What do you want, Bill?" Dipper repeated. He was in no mood for the demon's games and trickery.

"I told you I was going to keep an eye on you," Bill said, floating closer to him. Dipper tensed up, then quickly shut the journal and held it close to him. "I couldn't help but notice you had a visitor at your place. What was her name? Amane? Alana? Alane? Yes, I think it was Alane."

"What do you know about her?" Dipper questioned. "I saw those marks on her hands. You and her know each other, don't you?"

"I won't deny that I've tried to make deals with her before," Bill said, reclining mid-air, as if in a chair. "But the kid's got a strong will. Isn't as easily tempted as some of you fleshbags.

"Now, there _are_ some things she's hiding from you and Shooting Star, that's for sure," Bill said, eyeing Dipper. "Things that I can tell you, for the right price."

Dipper was torn for a moment between what to do, then shook his head in anger at himself. "I'm not making any deals with you, Bill! You might as well just leave."

"But how else do you expect to get your precious answers, Pine Tree?" Bill suddenly grew very close to Dipper, looking him right in the face before circling him in the air. "This kid's got a lot to hide. Not like she'll just _tell you_ her horrific backstory and who she is, when she needs to stay in town and can't risk you guys kicking her out.

"You've shown nothing but mistrust in her since she arrived. Why would she tell you anything?"

Dipper wanted to make a deal, he honestly did. Bill could get him some answers, answers that might protect Mabel and Stan from whatever, or whoever, Alane was.

But the memory of that Sock Opera was seared into his memory. He remembered how Bill stole his body and how he was nearly stuck as a spirit forever. He had no urge to repeat that experience again.

"No, Bill," Dipper said firmly, trying to stand up taller as he glared at the dream demon. "I'm not making any deals with you. Really, all I needed to know was that Alane was hiding something, and you've already told me that. I'll figure out what it is she's keeping from us on my own."

Bill looked angry, momentarily flashing from his bright yellow color to a deep red before changing back. "Suit yourself, Pine Tree." Bill rolled his eye in exasperation. Then something seemed to dawn on him. Dipper was sure that if Bill had a mouth, he'd be smiling. "I pity you, kid. So scrawny and defenseless. Without that journal, you couldn't do anything! 

"Alane is a pretty weird fleshbag. Not a six fingered freak, but she sure can destroy some buildings!" Bill stared down at Dipper, who'd gone pale. Bill's face was alight with malice and cunning. "I wouldn't make her mad if I were you," Bill said in an eerie tone.

"Anyway!" Bill said in his usual demeanor. "Until next time, Pine Tree! I'll be watching you!"

The forest seemed to swirl around Bill as the demon rose a little higher into the air, the grays mixing with a dull yellow light. Leaves blew about in little tornadoes along the ground, and more were shaken from the trees.

Then everything went black, and Dipper woke up.

He managed to hold in a scream this time around, instead just gasping from shock about what had just happened. His hand clutched his shirt as he tried to calm his breathing.

The sun was high in the sky now, being at least noon. The mist was all but gone, not even a sign of dampness on the ground further from the stream. "How long was I asleep?" Dipper wondered aloud. Then memories of what Bill had said struck him, and he scrambled off the rock. He just barely remembered to grab the journal and pen before taking off. 

_Bill said Alane was hiding stuff from us,_ Dipper thought in a mixture of fear and excitement. The he paused in his tracks. _But wait... What did he mean when he said I shouldn't make her mad?_

 _Doesn't matter,_ he decided, taking off again as he fumbled to put the journal back in his vest pocket. _I've gotta get back!_


	6. Chapter Four

"Bye, guys!" Grenda called, waving to Mabel and Alane as she and Candy walked back towards town. All four of them held bags full of things they'd purchased while they were out.

"See you later!" Candy chimed in.

"Thanks for coming shopping!" Mabel said happily to them as they walked away.

Mabel had been true to her word, and Alane and her had left to shop the second Mabel was downstairs. She hadn't even been bothered with Dipper not being in bed, she was so excited. Telling Mabel her brother went for a walk seemed unnecessary, but Alane told her anyway, which got "That's nice. C'mon, Candy and Grenda are waiting!" in response.

They must have gone to every store in the town, and Alane was tired of trying on clothes. She'd never been one for shopping in general, always wearing the same thing unless it was out of style by fifty years or so. But... She'd genuinely had fun that day.

It'd been awhile since she had anyone be so nice to her. She'd forgotten what it was like to have a real friend.

"I think I'm going to be set for a few years on all these," Alane said with a grin. She hoped so, at least. She'd had about $300 on her when she left, and was down to about $70. _Why did clothing cost so much?_ "Thanks for taking me shopping, Mabel."

"No problem!" Mabel said cheerfully. She had four bags herself, all packed full with hairbands, makeup and yarn for knitting. "Besides, not like you could just wear the same thing for an entire week. No one with a sense of smell could do that! Well, besides maybe Dipper." Mabel ended with a laugh, which Alane joined in on.

Alane had been rather wary and stressed before the day out, but now she was feeling more relaxed than she had been for awhile. It was nice.

As the two of them walked up the steps to Mabel's place, which Alane had learned doubled as a gift shop and tourist attraction, there was a frantic rustling from some bushes nearby. The two of them paused in their steps for a moment, confused about what could be making that noise.

Dipper stumbled out of the bush, frantically shaking a vine from his leg as he hopped on one foot. He looked like a frightened deer, desperately clutching a book-shaped lump in his vest as he glanced around wildly.

"Dipper?" Mabel asked in confusion, dropping her bags on the porch. Alane carefully opened the front door, putting her bags as well as Mabel's inside before following the girl across the yard towards her brother.

"Stay away from her, Mabel!" Dipper exclaimed, having gotten the vine off his leg and now hurriedly walking towards his sister. He had bags under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept in awhile.

"Did you sleep last night, Dipper?" Mabel asked in a worried tone, reaching out and putting a hand on his shoulder. He wouldn't meet her eyes. "Bro bro, you've gotta cut this out. Can't you just put a little trust in her? Give her a chance to show you she's not some nut-job? What do you have against her, anyway?"

"It's not that simple, Mabel," Dipper said in a hushed tone, eyeing Alane. "Bill-"

Mabel cut him off, her face hard-set and worried. "No. Enough about Bill and the paranormal. Go to bed, Dipper. You look awful, and you need some sleep."

"Just listen to me, Mabel! This is serious!" Dipper was pleading now.

But Mabel didn't relent. "Alane is a good person and you need to realize that. If you'd just get to know her, you'd know she's harmless. I mean, she looks as weak as you do!" Mabel ended with a small smile, her eyes sad. "Just please stop with this, Dipper. I know you're worried about her being a Bill worshiper or whatever, but everything is fine. Now go get some rest, alright?"

Mabel then turned around and walked back to Alane.

Alane had heard everything. She was completely shocked to hear Bill's name in conversation, and had a hard time believing that they were talking about her Bill. Dipper looked terrified about this- who would be terrified of Bill? He was just a lovable triangle. It must be someone else.

As Mabel came up besides Alane, she tried to put on a face that suggested she'd been deaf to the conversation. "Is he alright?" Alane murmured, genuinely worried about Mabel's brother, who was now kicking the ground angrily.

"He'll be fine," Mabel replied. She didn't looked entirely convinced. "C'mon, let's go inside."

Mabel opened up the front door, walking past the bags Alane had placed inside without noticing them. Alane sighed quietly, bending down and picking them all up at once. It was awkward having so many things hanging from her arms, but she could manage. The weight wasn't a problem.

She followed Mabel, unsure of what else to do and wanting to remain close. She was still unnerved about Mabel's grunkle, since she still had yet to figure out if it was the Stanford Pines she used to know. Better safe than sorry.

The two of them stopped half way through the living room, Mabel plopping down on the chair. Alane set the bags down to her right before sitting on the floor.

It was silent until a rhythmic clatter of hooves filled the room, a round pig entering moments later. Alane was confused as to why a pig would be indoors, but Mabel's grin showed that it's presence made her happy, and so Alane didn't ask. Whatever kept her from getting too down about Dipper, Alane was alright with.

"C'mere, Waddles," Mabel said, trying to mask how upset she still was as she held out her arms. The pig bounded over like a dog, trying to jump onto the chair but not quite making it. Mabel boosted him up the rest of the way, and Waddles curled up on her lap.

Another awkward silence filled the room.

"You know," Alane said, sighing as she rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "I appreciate your hospitality, Mabel, but... I don't want to come between you and your brother. It's clear he has something against me being here, so I can just, you know, go to the next town or something. Get out of you guys' hair so things can go back to normal for you."

Mabel was quiet for a second, and Alane expected her to say it was for the best. But then she shook her head. "No, you don't have to leave," Mabel said, looking at Alane with a small smile. "You're my friend, and I'm not just gonna kick you out because Dipper has a problem. You can stay as long as you want."

"But what about Dipper? You may be fine with my being here, but he's clearly not. I don't want to be a bother to anyone."

Mabel snorted, waving her arm as if to brush away the issue. "He's got issues with anyone who isn't me or Wendy. Dipper's just gotten to a point where he believes everyone to be against us," Mabel said, petting Waddles thoughtfully. "So much junk has happened this summer that he's lost trust. If he meets someone new, he automatically assumes they're a monster, or an alien, or a gnome or something. Sometimes he's right, too, and that just fuels his ideas.

"But Dipper isn't stupid. You're obviously not any of those, and he'll realize it soon enough. Just give him some time. He'll get used to you and stop being so weird." Mabel ended with a small smile.

Alane returned her smile hesitantly. "If you say so."

 

It was later that day and she was now all alone. Alane knew she needed to be with one or the other twin for protection, in case the Stanford she was staying with was the Ford she used to know. But she felt awful for splitting the two up, and had insisted that they go do something together.

Dipper had been suspicious about her intentions, but Mabel had dragged him off despite his protests.

The sun was setting now and Alane sat in the living room, writing in her notebook. It was an old little thing that Bill had gotten for her over fifty years ago, and she'd been using it as a sort of diary. It was nearly filled, having not had much room to begin with since it was pocket-sized, but Alane figured she could squeeze in a few more entries.

She didn't write in the book often, but she wanted to then to take her mind off of her worries. Or, rather, worry. The possibility that the twin's great uncle was Ford terrified her. Sure, she could protect herself against him if needed, but there was a lingering fear that his name left in her. It seemed to grip her very core and paralyze her.

Alane sighed, pushing these thoughts from her mind and focusing solely on the notebook in front of her.

She'd been busy writing down the events leading up to her arrival in Gravity Falls and what had happened since that morning. Dipper had interrupted her earlier, which was why she hadn't already finished with it.

_Gravity Falls appears to be a peaceful town, she wrote in cursive on the page. However, one of the children I am staying with has given me reason to believe that this is incorrect. She mentioned aliens, monsters and gnomes(?), and she also spoke of someone named Bill. I think she was referring to the Bill I know, though I have no clue as to how they know him. He's never mentioned them._

_The child's twin brother is suspicious about me, and apparently everyone he meets, so his sister says. I assume that whatever has been going on in this town has scarred him deeply. I feel sorry for the twins. No child should be so scared that they lose trust in their own kind._

_But, of course, I'm not really of their kind, am I?_

Alane jumped in the seat for the second time that day as a man cleared his throat from close by. She quickly shut her notebook and stood up, avoiding eye contact. "Hello, Mr. Pines. Sorry if I was in your way. I can go write in the guestroom instead."

Stan stood in front of her, still dressed in the dark suit and eye patch he wore during work hours, having just closed up the gift shop. His hands were, to Alane's dismay, in his pockets.

"No, it's uh, fine," he grumbled, actually seeming uncomfortable. "Hey, have you seen the twins? I haven't heard from them all day."

"They went off somewhere together," Alane replied, putting her notebook and pen back in her pocket. "Mabel mentioned something about exploring the woods, if that helps?"

He sighed in frustration. "Those kids better be keeping outta trouble..."

To Alane's relief, Stan turned to leave, heading back towards the gift shop, she assumed to take inventory or something. "Hey, random question," Alane blurted out, instantly wishing she'd been quiet.

Stan stopped, looking back around at her. "What?"

"Did you ever go to a place called, er..." Alane rubbed the back of her neck. "Backupsmore University?" She'd been questioning the handyman, Soos, about this earlier after the twins had left. He'd been, honestly, no help at all.

Something flashed in Stan's eyes before he shook his head, turning back around. "No. Never heard of it," he muttered, walking away. As he left, he reached up and adjusted his fez before returning his hand to his pocket.

Alane had had just enough time to notice that he had five fingers, not six. She sighed heavily, relief washing over her, before sitting down and getting back to her writing.


	7. Chapter Five

"Start over, Dipper. You lost me," Mabel told her brother as they walked through the forest along one of the many paths. Stars were beginning to come out, and they could see them distantly twinkling in the sky above.

Dipper sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was glad Mabel was willing to take the time to listen to him, but he wished she'd keep up. "Bill visited me in a dream earlier. He basically told me that him and Alane knew each other, and that she was hiding stuff from us," he said simply, having given up on explaining with detail.

Mabel hopped over a rock, deep in thought. "This is Bill you're talking about, Dipper," she said after a minute. "He might just be lying."

"I considered that at first," Dipper said, walking around the rock instead. "But then I took into account that Alane never seems to believe what she says. Like when she told us why she was here, how old she was..."

"Some peoples' voices just sound like that," Mabel said stubbornly. "Like people who always sound sarcastic, even if they don't mean to. It doesn't necessarily mean she's lying." Mabel paused on the path, looking at Dipper with a goofy grin. "I mean, how could she even lie about her age? It's obvious she's not any older than Wendy, but she's clearly a bit older than us."

"She could be only thirteen..." Dipper murmured. "That's still in between us and Wendy."

"True," Mabel admitted, walking again. She absentmindedly kicked at a pebble on the path.

"I know you and her are friends," Dipper said, putting a hand on Mabel's shoulder, which caused her to stop again. "But just keep an eye on her. I know you don't want to admit it, but something isn't right.

"And, I mean, this wouldn't be the first time you've met someone who turned out to be something they're not," Dipper said, trying to get Mabel to smile. "There was Norman, who turned out to be gnomes, Mermando, who was a merman. Does Gideon count? He was a fraud..." Dipper smiled. "And let's not forget Pacifica. I mean, everyone thinks she's human, but we know she's a creature worse than Bill!"

Dipper succeeded. Mabel gave him a braces filled smile. "You're right. And I'll keep an eye out. But, you've gotta understand, bro bro. Just because Bill said something and you think the way she talks means she's lying, doesn't mean she's a monster, or a demon worshiper. Alane is my friend, and I trust her."

Dipper knew that that was as good as it was going to get. "Thanks for hearing me out. We good now?"

"We're good," Mabel said with a small smile. "Awkward sibling hug?"

"Awkward sibling hug," Dipper replied, him and Mabel embracing each other. They both patted each other's backs, saying "pat pat" before stepping away from each other.

Dipper looked up at the sky, which had grown darker. The stars shone brighter and a chilly breeze was beginning to blow. "Hey, we'd better get back. Stan is probably worried about us being gone so long."

"Yeah, unless Alane killed him or something," Mabel said jokingly, but Dipper grew anxious nonetheless.

The twins turned around and walked back towards the shack. When the arrived about forty minutes later they discovered, to Dipper's relief, that everything was normal, and no one was dead.


	8. Chapter Six

"Bill, I know you can hear me," Alane grumbled from where she laid on her bed. "Quit ignoring me and answer already."

Early morning sunlight shone in through the window above Alane, lighting up the old bedroom. The bed was shrouded in a shadow, and it'd take anyone a minute or two to notice Alane laying there in one of the outfits Mabel had picked out for her. It was a white sweater with a brown panda face on it, paired with blue jeans.

She'd been awake since three in the morning, having gotten all the sleep she needed by then. Alane had written in her notebook for a little while, but had grown bored and decided to question Bill about the Pines twins.

It was now about seven o'clock and he still hadn't replied.

"You're really starting to annoy me, Bill," she muttered. "These kids know who you are. Why didn't you tell me? And why are they so scared of you?"

Alane laid there, hoping Bill would reply to that. But the minutes ticked by and she eventually gave up. She swung her legs off the bed, preparing to stand. But as her feet touched the ground, she felt something slip into her mind.

The door to her bedroom was cracked open a bit, and she knew that with Bill in her head, her pupils were slits and her eyes now yellow. She had to shut the door so no one would see her- the very idea of trying to explain what was going on with her eyes to the kids made her stomach churn.

But Bill rarely spoke to her, and she knew she didn't have a lot of time. So, ignoring her better judgement, she sat back down on the bed, turning away from the door.

"You know, kid," Bill's voice echoed through her mind. "You're persistent. It's annoying."

"I know you're busy, Bill," Alane said apologetically. "But I need some answers. How do the twins know you? And furthermore, why are they _scared_ of you?"

Alane knew that if Bill was present, if she could see him rather than just hear him, he'd be rolling his eye. "Lot's of people know me, kid. What? Did you think you were the only fleshbag I talked to?" He gave a harsh laugh. "Of course not.

"As for why they're scared of me..." Bill paused for a second. "You know their uncle's name, right?" Alane nodded, though she knew he couldn't see it. "Well, I thought it was ol' Fordsy. You know, you're old pal.

"This little kid named Gideon wanted me to enter his mind and find something for him. We made a deal, him agreeing to let me do whatever I wanted to the old fool while I was in there, as long as I got what he wanted.

"But then I found out that the guy _wasn't_ Sixer. He looked like him, but the memories didn't match up. I called the deal off, but not before the twins realized I was in their uncle's mind. I left, but it wasn't like anything I could've said would've changed their views on me, the demon possessing their guardian."

"So it was all a sort of misunderstanding?" Alane clarified.

"You got it."

Alane nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, well. I believe you, Bill. And..." It was her turn to pause as she searched for the correct wording. "I know you probably went into his head for my benefit, after what he did... Thanks, for trying I mean."

"It wasn't all for you, kid. I had my reasons as well," Bill said. "But you're welcome!"

She furrowed her brow, confused. "What reasons? Was it for that project you've been working on?" Bill never told her what the project was about, just that he was working on something. He said it was why he wasn't able to talk to her much anymore.

"Sorta, you see-" Bill cut himself off as the hinges on the door gave a harsh squeak. Alane whipped around to face the door, terror bubbling up inside of her.

"Gotta go," Bill said hurriedly, instantly vanishing from Alane's mind, causing her pupils to go back to normal and her eyes to become blue once more. Alane blinked as he left, not missing a beat as she put on a big smile to greet the new arrival.

"Hiya, Mabel!" She said cheerfully as she fumbled to reach inside her pocket without Mabel noticing.

Mabel was standing in the doorway, a plate of pancakes (or as the twins' uncle called them, "Stancakes") in her hands and Waddles sitting at her feet. She smiled at Alane, though her eyes betrayed her confusion and quiet fear. "Hey. Brought you some breakfast. Who were ya, uh... Who were you talkin' to?"

In what she hoped was a casual motion, Alane lifted up her phone, having had to pull it from her pocket. She gave it a little shake before saying evenly, "I was just talking to my dad about his work project."

"Oh," Mabel said, relief washing over her. "I hope I didn't interrupt?" Mabel began to walk over, Waddles trailing behind her, eagerly awaiting some food to drop onto the floor so he could eat it.

Alane waved a hand nonchalantly. "Nah, we got cut off literally a second before you came in." She chuckled. "You actually sorta scared me. I felt like I was in one of those horror movies where the cell towers get destroyed and there's some freak killing people and I'm just gonna stop talking now." Alane smiled awkwardly, putting her phone down besides her.

"Well, I _am_ a freak," Mabel said with a big smile, poking one of her cheeks as she balanced the plate of pancakes on her other hand. She nearly lost it, the plate wobbling on her hand for a second and one of the pancakes almost falling off. But Mabel steadied it before she lost any of the food, much to Waddles' disappointment. A second and a few steps later, Mabel set the plate down besides Alane's phone, which she eyed curiously.

"Oh, you like the phone?" Alane asked when she saw Mabel looking at it.

"It's... Unusual?" Mabel shrugged, uttering a short, but completely cheerful and good-natured laugh.

"I made it myself," Alane said sheepishly. "Making my own things is so much easier than buying them."

"You made the phone? That's so cool." Mabel seemed to be in awe, and Alane gave a large, genuine smile despite her previous panic. "And I completely get what you mean! I pity the poor saps that can't knit sweaters and, ha, make phones. No matter how hard they try, they'll never be as cool as us!"

Alane nodded absentmindedly, offering Mabel another smile as a reply. _I guess Mabel didn't see my eyes when she came in._ Alane's shoulders sagged in relief as she picked up the plate of pancakes and set them on her lap. _Thank the universe for that._

"Oh, hey," Alane said, face reddening a bit. Her awkwardness made her feel embarrassed, which just seemed to add to her awkwardness. "Thanks for bringing me breakfast. It's really sweet of you. But, you know, I'm not royalty or anything. You can just give me a yell or, I don't know, throw a rock at me to let me know when it's mealtime. You don't have to serve me breakfast in bed."

Mabel shook her head, an obviously fake frown on her face. "No! You're our guest, and as long as you're our guest, I'm not going to throw rocks at you. I'm going to bring you food and be a good host while you're here.

"Now eat your pancakes," Mabel said, bending down for a moment to scoop up Waddles. He oinked, leaning forward to try and snatch a pancake, but wasn't quick enough. Mabel began to walk towards the door. "I'll be in the living room bedazzling if you need me!"

The kid shut the door behind her, causing the walls to shudder for a second. Alane smiled thoughtfully as she took a bite of a pancake, only to cough in mild disgust as the food hit her tongue. They weren't _horrible,_ but they didn't taste... Right.

Setting the pancakes to the side, Alane peeked out of the window behind her. In the yard, not too far off, was a goat, chomping away on grass.

Alane opened the window and, after looking around to make sure no one was watching, she quietly picked the plate back up then dumped the pancakes out the window, into a bush below. She shut the window behind her then hopped off the bed, plate still in hand. Guilt gnawed at her belly for a second, but she pushed it away. Mabel would've been upset if she'd come out with a full plate. Better to have gotten rid of it, so as to spare her feelings.

Gross food aside, Alane couldn't help but feel optimistic as she opened the bedroom door again. Today just felt like it was going to be a good day.


	9. Chapter Seven

Dipper rubbed his face drowsily as he walked down the stairs and onto the main floor. It wasn't even eight in the morning yet, and there was already loud giggling coming from the living room and the smell of overdone pancakes in the air.

As he headed towards the kitchen, Dipper paused for a moment to see what all the commotion in the living room was about.

Sitting on the floor, surrounded by various crafting supplies and holding bedazzling guns were Alane and Mabel. Waddles was curled up next to them, a heart having been bedazzled on his left side. A few of the fake gems were falling off and onto the floor.

"You know, I once bedazzled my entire face," Mabel told Alane, overcome by giggles.

"Seriously?" Alane asked, to which Mabel nodded. "Oh wow, that must've been so cool!"

Mabel gasped in awe as an idea suddenly struck her. " _We should bedazzle our faces right now!_ " She said in a hushed but excited voice.

"Yes," Alane said in all seriousness, raising up the bedazzling gun. "Yes we should."

Both girls broke out in smiles and began laughing again. Dipper rolled his eyes, walking away as Mabel began to comment on Alane's clothes.

"Hey, kiddo," Stan greeted as Dipper walked into the kitchen. "Want any Stancakes? Just made 'em."

"I'm good, thanks though," Dipper yawned as he took a seat at the table. Despite his uncle's mediocre cooking skills, Dipper usually ate the pancakes to spare his feelings. But he just wasn't feeling up to it that morning.

Stan shrugged. "More for me, I guess." He busied himself by flipping the last few pancakes on the stove as an uneasy silence filled the room, broken only by the laughter emitting from the two nut jobs in the living room.

After a few minutes, Stan sat down across from Dipper, bringing with him a plate heaping with pancakes. As Stan reached for the bottle of syrup, he paused, eyeing Dipper. "Something on your mind, kid?" Stan asked after a moment, grabbing the bottle and drenching his pancakes with the sticky syrup.

"No, it's just..." Dipper trailed off with a sigh. He didn't expect Stan to understand, but what with Mabel ignoring his suspicions, who else could he talk to? There was Soos, but he wasn't a very serious person. And Wendy... Though he was also afraid of seeming insane or paranoid to her, he didn't want to bring up his theories due to her and Alane already being friends and all.

"Just what?" Stan asked. At the same time, he seemed to be pressing Dipper for a response, but also seeming to not care in the slightest what he had to say.

Dipper decided to go ahead and voice his fears. "Does Alane seem a little... _Strange,_ to you?"

"Strange how?" Stan asked through a mouthful.

"I don't know, just strange. She doesn't seem normal to me."

"Hey," Stan said with a grin, having swallowed his food. "Anyone who hangs out with your sister is bound to be a bit weird."

It was at that moment that the girls decided to scream that they were going to bedazzle the world, and crush those who appose their plan. Waddles joined in on the scream, oinking loudly. This caused them to break out laughing once more.

"I don't just mean Mabel-weird," Dipper said in exasperation. "I mean Gravity Falls-weird."

"You know what I think?" Stan said, wiping his mouth on his arm. "I think you like her."

"What?" Dipper said, utterly shocked.

Stan shrugged. "Seems like you do, anyway." He then stood up from the table, picking up his plate. "If anyone's being overly weird around here, I think it's you. You're like, always watching her. It's creepy. But I guess it's good you're over that whole Wendy thing." Stan rolled his eyes as he mentioned it, and Dipper's face began to redden.

"Look, I'm gonna go eat in the shop. There's a bunch of tourists coming through today and I want to get an early start." Stan winked at Dipper. "Once you get through denial about your crush, come find me and I can give you some star dating advice."

"Grunkle Stan!" Mabel's voice screeched as she ran into the kitchen, Alane right behind her. "We've caught the bedazzling plague! If we touch you guys, you'll catch it too!"

Both girl's faces were completely bedazzled, and the fake gems were stuck to their sweaters, pants and hair as well. They looked like a pair of colorful disco balls. Dipper noted that Waddles, who had waddled in behind them, had more gems on his back than before as well.

"I'm eating breakfast. I'd like to wait until after I've finished to catch the plague," Stan said, not unfriendly. "Why don't you two infect Dipper?"

"No, thank you. Call Candy and Grenda or something and bedazzle them. I'd like to remain un-bedazzled until at least this afternoon." Dipper hopped up from his chair and walked out of the kitchen, Mabel and Alane beginning to talk in hurried voices behind him. It sounded like they were actually going to invite the other girls over, in which case he didn't want to be anywhere near them.

The four of them, armed with bedazzling guns... It was a recipe for disaster.

As Dipper left the room, he heard Stan laughing behind him, followed by the sound of receding footsteps as he went out to the gift shop. Alane and Mabel remained in the kitchen.

"Well that conversation was a disaster..." Dipper murmured to himself, pushing his hands into his pockets as he walked down the hallway. "How could Stan think I like her? She's weird and knows Bill..."

Dipper sighed, leaning up against the wall besides him and running a hand down his face. "I wish someone would just _hear me out_. Being on my own with all this is killing me."

Mabel agreeing to listen to him about Bill's visit hadn't escaped his mind, but he knew that it meant almost nothing. Yes, his sister had listened, but it was like she was just humoring him. If she believed him, even in the slightest, then she wouldn't be hanging out with Alane.

But there she was, laughing it up with her new buddy while he wallowed in his theories and stress.

"What up, dude?" Dipper jumped as a greeting was uttered close by him. His heart still pounded quickly against his chest, even when he realized it was just Soos. He hadn't even heard the handyman approaching.

Sighing in an act to calm himself a bit, Dipper wiped his forehead awkwardly. "Nothing important. What are you doing?"

"I just got done fixing a pipe in the bathroom." Dipper noted that most of Soos' green shirt was soaked with water. "It still amazes me how much your sister's pig can break." He ended with a good-natured laugh. "Like, seriously, dude. How can a pig even break a shower head? That's like, five pigs taller than Waddles is."

Dipper shrugged. "Beats me."

Soos narrowed his eyes at Dipper. "Hey, you alright, dawg? You seem like, down in the dumps."

Head down, Dipper kicked at the floor. "I'm fine. I just... I wish someone would listen to me when I tell them Alane is up to something."

Dipper had been expecting another "What are you talking about" or, "don't be so silly," but Soos surprised him. He gave a knowing laugh, shooting Dipper one of his goofy grins. "Uh, maybe not exactly 'up to something', dude. But there's definitely something up with _her_."

Dipper's mouth actually dropped open. "Y-you believe me?" He asked, voice cracking from sheer excitement.

"Uh, yeah." Soos laughed again. "You'd have to be blind to not see something's up with her. She's like, super quiet one second, then more... More like Mabel the next. And she's all awkward and suspicious of people. Like, I was talking to her the other day and she kept questioning me about stuff. But she'd ask the same question two or three times and get all weird if I didn't give her the same answer. Like, even the wording of it put her on edge."

Soos rubbed the back of his neck, rolling his eyes. "Then this morning, I was sweeping this hall, and I overheard her talking to someone. I heard the name 'Bill' and I got sorta freaked out, ya know? That triangle guy still freaks me out... Anyway, her door was open, so when I went past I peeked in to see who she was talking with. But dawg, there wasn't anyone there."

His mind was spinning from the new information. "What was she questioning you about?" Dipper asked. "And you sure you heard her say Bill's name?" _If that's what he heard, then Alane must be working with the dream demon!_ Dipper thought in a combination of giddiness and dread.

"Uh, mostly Mr. Pines," Soos replied with a shrug. "She seemed really interested in him. Asking where he was from, where he went to school. It was kinda... Kinda weird.

"Yeah dude, I'm positive she said Bill." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "Or maybe she said bull. Or hill. Maybe till? Or maybe she meant bill, as in a dollar bill..." He trailed off.

Dipper was too distracted to be annoyed about Soos' memory. Or, rather, his lack of it. He was pacing back and forth along the wall, hands together in front of his chin in a contemplating gesture, muttering to himself under his breath.

"Yo Dipper, you alright?" Soos said, voice betraying his concern.

"Soos," Dipper said as he stopped pacing, looking over at his friend. "This is going to sound nuts, but I think Alane is working with Bill."

"No way," Soos gasped, obviously surprised but appearing to be completely open to the suggestion.

"Mabel doesn't believe me and Stan just thinks I, uh, like her." Dipper could feel his face reddening, but tried to ignore it. "If I could just get some proof, then maybe they'd finally believe me."

Soos nodded, his face hard set and serious. "Say no more, dawg. Let's go get you that evidence."


	10. Chapter Eight

"I saw Alane writing in a notebook before. I'm pretty sure she said it was her diary. If we can get that, it'll probably mention Bill, if she's ever made contact with him."

"But if she's really working with that triangle dude, wouldn't she want to keep that a, I dunno, a secret? Like, why would she write it down?"

"To vent? To gloat? I don't know, but it's our best bet."

Dipper and Soos now stood outside of Alane's bedroom, a little further down the hall. The voices of her and Mabel were still coming from the living room, strangely quiet compared to the hysteric laughter from before.

He didn't know how Soos was feeling, but Dipper felt crazy nervous. He wasn't really the sneaking around type, and knowing he was about to go through Alane's stuff wasn't sitting well with him.

"So, what's the plan, dawg?" Soos asked. He was bent over a bit, so as to be closer to Dipper's level.

"I'll go look for the notebook, since I know what it looks like," Dipper said quietly. "You stand guard out here. Pretend to be sweeping or something. If Mabel or Alane are coming, signal me somehow, or shoo them off long enough for me to get out."

Soos nodded seriously. "Stand guard. You can count on me, dude."

Dipper gave himself a short nod. "Let's do this," he murmured, then turned around and slowly opened the bedroom door. Soos got into position on the other side of the hall, grabbing the broom he'd propped up against the wall after sweeping earlier. 

As the door slung open, it's hinges uttering a quiet creak, Dipper made a quick scan of the room. He expected that, after her and Mabel's shopping spree, it'd be a mess. But the room was in perfect order. The bed was made, there wasn't a speck of anything, not even dust, on the floor. The only thing out of place were a few balls of yarn and two piles of neatly folded clothes on a bench-seat to the left of him.

 _If I was Alane, where would I hide a notebook?_ Dipper thought to himself as he made his way slowly into the room. He pulled the door partly closed behind him, so if someone came down the hall they wouldn't be able to spot him as quickly.

First, he made his way over to the bench. With shaky hands, he rummaged around the sweaters and yarn until he was convinced the notebook wasn't there. When he'd finished, the once neat clothes were a messy pile. He did his best to refold them before moving on.

After scanning the room again, Dipper then went over to the bed. It was neatly made, not even a single wrinkle on the sheets. Oddly though, Dipper spotted what looked like a phone up by the pillow. He hesitated only a second before grabbing it.

It was old, he could tell that. Definitely not store bought, either. The case was made up of a combination of plastic and metal, all interweaving together in an unorderly manner. There was a small screen on the front that showed it was fully charged.

 _This might have something on it..._ Dipper thought before flipping open the phone.

The keypad on the inside of the phone lit up with a green light between the black keys as the phone gave a little buzz. The screen above it flashed as it turned on. _"Hello, Alane."_ The screen read in bold letters. _"Please enter password."_

The screen cleared for a moment before a box appeared, room enough for four letters or numbers. "Seriously? A password?" Dipper muttered in frustration, staring at the screen for a moment. He eventually typed "BILL" into the box.

 _"Incorrect."_ The screen flashed at him before returning to the box.

"I don't have time for this," Dipper grumbled, closing the phone and dropping it back on the bed. He then turned to the rest of the room.

There were only a few places left to look, unless he wanted to get drastic and flip the mattress or pull up floorboards. One of the remaining places was a writing desk to his right. He decided to inspect it next.

It was only a few steps away, but on Dipper's first step the floor creaked loudly. He winced at the sound, turning to look back at Soos through the half-open door. The handyman gave him a reassuring thumbs-up and a nod. He nodded in return, then quickly walked the rest of the way to the desk.

As was to be expected, it was spotless like the rest of the room. It actually looked as if it'd just been cleaned. He doubted it though; it wasn't like Alane didn't sleep or anything. Right?

On the desk was a blank piece of paper, a bottle of dried up ink and a quill. Upon inspection, Dipper discovered the drawers were empty, aside from a few paperclips and a nickle from 1963.

"Come on... Where is it?" Dipper whispered, looking around at what remained. There wasn't anything but a bookshelf and the closet. He sighed, walking over to the bookshelf.

As he pulled out the first old book he saw, Dipper heard a strange noise from the hallway. It sounded like a combination of someone saying "psst," a hiss and owl-like hoot. Dipper dropped the book in surprise as he suddenly heard footsteps and the door to the room was pulled shut.

"Oh, hiya, Soos," came the quiet voice of Alane outside the door. Dipper began to silently panic, leaving the book where it now laid on the floor.

"Yo," Soos replied. Dipper could tell he was trying his very best to be cool. "Just, uh, sweeping the floors again. You need somethin'?"

"Mabel and I are going to meet up with her friends in town. I just need to grab something real quick." It was as if Dipper could _hear_ Alane's smile as she said this. The doorknob began to turn and Dipper barely held back a fearful scream.

"Uh, wait!" Soos said. The doorknob stopped. "You, uh, can't go in there right now."

"Why not?" Alane asked, obviously suspicious.

"Dirty hallway, ya know? If you open the door, some dirt might, uh... Blow in? It'll get your floor all gross. I wouldn't want that, since you and Mabel just spent so long cleaning everything and stuff."

Alane chuckled quietly. "That's considerate of you, Soos, but a little dirt probably won't bug me. And I can clean it up if it does."

The doorknob began to move again and Dipper knew the door would be opening this time. He felt frozen in front of the bookshelf as he tried to prepare himself for being discovered.

 _Wait a second. I can't just stand here- I need to hide!_ The door was opening as Dipper snapped out of it. Thinking quickly, he ran over to the closet, pulling the door open and slipping inside. Then he paused. His heart was pounding twice as fast.

_Was that..?_

He knew it was risky, but he peeked out of the closet.

Alane was standing in the doorway now, looking away from him, towards the bed. Soos was behind her, motioning for Dipper to hide again. But he ignored them, turning his head back to the bench.

There, tucked underneath the red cushion on top, Dipper could make out the corner of a notebook.

Dipper quickly looked back over at Soos as Alane walked over to the bed. " _The notebook,_ " he mouthed, pointing at the bench. " _Distract her while I get it._ "

Soos' eyes widened. Alane was at her bed now, and she was picking up her phone. "Hey Alane!" Soos said, coming into the room. She barely had time to turn towards him before he enveloped her in a large bear hug.

Dipper had just enough time to run out, grab the notebook then return to his hiding place before Alane pried Soos' arms from her. "Uh." Alane was obviously confused. "Thanks for the hug..?"

"No problem, bye now!" Soos said hurriedly, his eyes darting over to the closet for a split second before he left. Dipper could hear his footsteps receding as he walked down the hall.

Meanwhile, Dipper had squeezed into the darkest corner of the closet. He held the book in front of him, heart pounding excitedly. _I got it I got it I got it!_ He chanted in his mind, squealing silently. After a moment, he regained control of himself and put the notebook inside his vest.

"I don't think I'll ever understand human customs," Alane murmured to herself, causing Dipper to snap back to attention.

 _"Human customs"? Is that her referring to her entire species, or the species as being separate from her's?_ Dipper wondered as the sound of Alane's boots drew nearer. She was approaching the bench.

"Where..?" Alane said in shock after she lifted up the cushion. She lifted up the other side of it in a more frantic matter. "Where is it?"

Dipper was watching from the crack between the closet door and the wall. He watched as Alane dropped all her refined and proper composer and frantically threw the cushion off the bench, proceeding to then dig through the clothes and yarn that were now scattered across the floor.

"Oh no no no no no. T-this can't b-be happening," Alane whispered, clutching her arms across her torso. It looked as if she were giving herself a hug. Her eyes were frantic, like those of a wild animal. It was also rather comical that she still had a few bedazzling gems on her face.

Alane stood up shakily, taking a few steps back before stumbling over the book Dipper had dropped. He felt the blood drain from his face as she bent down to pick it up, turning then to look over at the shelf.

"S-someone w-was here..." She stammered, looking at the book. "Someone t-took it. Someone's gonna find out again. I'll have to leave... But it's not safe..."

Dipper had been afraid before, but his fear was growing as Alane spoke. He actually crawled away from the gap, scared to look at the girl but yet unable to look away.

As Alane had been speaking, her nervous stammer had left. Her voice had become lifeless, as if she felt no emotion. Her skin seemed to have grown paler, her eyes darker. And her hair... Dipper was sure that it was beginning to turn black.

"What _is_ she?" He whispered to himself, covering his mouth a moment later in fear of being heard.

Alane didn't seem to notice though. She was still staring at the book, which she was gripping very tightly. He could see the tears in the cover where her fingernails were piercing the old leather.

"Alane? You ready to go?" Came Mabel's voice from somewhere in the house.

The voice of his sister seemed to jolt Alane out of it. She seemed to realize what she was doing and dropped the book, which now had five long gashes on the cover. It landed on the floor with a dull thud.

"C-Coming!" Alane called towards the door. She looked around the room, eyes going right over Dipper, who was relieved to see she was back to normal now. Alane then began walking towards the door.

Dipper thought it was safe, and was just about to crawl out of the closet, when he heard footsteps returning. He froze, arm outstretched, poised to push open the door.

Alane was back. She was shaking slightly as she picked up the book, brushing off the cover. She winced as she traced the gashes she'd made on it.

She looked at the book for a second more before returning it to it's place on the shelf. She then put the cushion back on the bench, scooping up the pile of messy clothes and putting them back where they belonged. Her movements were fast but gentle, as if she was worried about damaging something. Dipper found it ironic, considering what she'd just done to the book.

Alane stood there, staring at the clothes for a second. She seemed torn between refolding them and going to Mabel. She eventually sighed deeply, turning back around and rushing from the room.

This time, Dipper didn't try to leave the closet until he heard the front door open and close as Mabel and Alane left the house.


	11. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mainly talking.

The house was silent now, and Dipper crawled out of the closet on his hands and knees. Once out in the open again, he made sure the notebook was still in his vest before going over to the bookshelf.

He quickly located the book Alane had put back, and that he had originally dropped. He gingerly took it off the shelf and held it in front of him. He ran a finger along the gouges on the cover, feeling chilled to the bone.

"What is she..?" He wondered out loud.

A heavy pounding of footsteps came from out in the hall, accompanied by the sound of panting. Soos skidded to a halt just outside the room, both excited and panicked. "That was a close call, dude," Soos said breathlessly as he walked, slowly, over to Dipper. "Did you find it?"

"I got it," Dipper replied, patting his vest to indicate it was in his pocket, then tossed Soos the other book. "I also got this."

Soos caught the book with both his hands. He first looked at the gash caused by Alane's thumbnail, then flipped it over to see the other four. "Whoa. What did this?"

"Alane," he said simply.

Soos started to laugh, then saw the serious expression Dipper was wearing and stopped instantly. "Whoa..." Was all he said in reply.

Dipper walked over to Soos, looking around the room as he put a hand on his arm. "C'mon. We better get out of here before someone else shows up."

 

The two of them now sat cross-legged on the floor of his and Mabel's attic bedroom. The window was covered with a sheet and the door locked, so there'd be no unwanted intruders. The room would be incredibly dark, if it were not for Dipper's bright lantern and a glow-in-the-dark plushie on Mabel's bed.

Laying in front of them was Alane's notebook.

The cover was an off-white, yellowish color. The front of it had traces of black, as if something had been written there long ago, but had worn away over the years.

"You ready?" Dipper asked Soos in a hushed whisper. He nodded in reply, and Dipper flipped open the book. The pages made crackling sounds as the book opened, and Dipper realized he should be more careful. The book was old, it's pages fragile. If he was too rough they could crumble.

The book now open, Soos moved the lantern closer so that they could read.

"'Property of Alane'," Dipper read aloud, puzzled. There was no last name anywhere on the page. Just 'Alane'. He mentally shrugged to himself then turned to the next page.

This page was filled from top to bottom in curly hand writing. Dipper cleared his throat before reading aloud, "'I'm rather unsure of how to begin this. I've never kept one of these before, and it doesn't come with a set of instructions... I guess I will start by saying 'Hello'.

"'My name is Alane, and the year is.'" Dipper paused to gasp, having to reread the line. "'The year is 1673. My current age is somewhere in the thirteen thousands. 13,673, I believe? I find it hard to keep track sometimes. Since I lie about my age, it's not like I have good reason to remember how old I am, anyway.

"'Moving on. A friend of mine has been suggesting to me for awhile that I should start keeping a journal. He said it'll help me retain things, and offer a way to refresh my memory, if I begin to forget in later years. I have grown tired of his nagging and decided to humor him. Let's see how this goes.'"

Dipper turned to the next page. "'I am living in what people refer to as 'The Home'. It's filled with orphaned children of all ages, all having experienced their own form of trauma. My friend told me he could find me a better place to stay if I wanted, since living conditions here are poor. But I have a sort of... Attachment, to this place.'

"'The Home is run by a woman who's kin to my old friend, Leonardo, who I'm still mourning the death of. The woman, Mrs. Baxter, is elderly and finds it hard to run everything on her own. Leonardo and I were close, and leaving his frail however-many-greats niece to take care of all these children... It just doesn't seem right.'

"'My plans are to remain here until The Home falls under new management. I believe Mrs. Baxter is leaving the building to her son in her will. He is an awful person, but he has money enough to fix the place up a bit. The children could have a worse headmaster.'"

Dipper rubbed his eyelids, beginning to get a slight headache. The curly handwriting was hard to read and the dim light was making it that much harder.

Realizing Dipper had stopped, Soos turned the book towards him. "Oh, wow," Soos said with a laugh. "How can you read this? Is it even English?"

"Yeah, it's English," Dipper replied, turning the book back. His mind was racing quicker than it had been for days, but he didn't want to stop and roll over everything he'd read about just yet. There was still a good hundred pages left in the old notebook- who knows what they'd find out?

Dipper cleared his throat again, flipping the page once more and reading aloud, "It's now mid winter. I'm sorry to say that I've been slacking on entries, but I have good reasons. The main being that if I made an entry for each day, I'd soon be lugging around a bag full of these journals, in which I have no wish to do.'

"'I, along with some of the older orphans, have fixed up The House tremendously, and pulled together enough funds to get new coats for the younger children to wear this winter. Mrs. Baxter is extremely thankful for our help, and she's told us multiple times. I'm really starting to care for the old woman.'

"'However, my friend, whom I've mentioned before, is growing restless. He thinks I'm playing house, trying to pull together a ragtag family for myself. I'm not sure what it is I'm doing, but I do not want to leave until I know for sure things will be alright here. I will remain, even if it angers him.'"

"Dude," Soos said quietly as Dipper turned to the next page. "Alane sounds like, super nice. You really think she's working with Bill?"

"This was over 300 years ago," he replied with a shrug. "Things happen. Maybe she's changed? Or, maybe that 'friend' she keeps mentioning is Bill? We need to keep reading."

"Whatever you say, dawg," Soos said. He didn't seem convinced.

He looked back down at the page. It was a short entry this time, the date at the top reading January of 1674. "'Mrs. Baxter has fallen ill,'" was all it said.

The next entry was longer, but still wasn't much. "'Mrs. Baxter has passed away at the age of eighty-two. She was a kind, old woman. She will be missed.'"

Soos looked to be on the brink of tears, so Dipper hurried on. "'It's late January now. Mrs. Baxter's son, William, has taken over The Home. He's making various repairs, and I'm confident he will do a semi-decent job of running things. It's time for me to move on.'

"'I think I'll go to America.'"

"Hey, wait a second," Soos said, sniffing loudly as he wiped a corner of his eye. "Does that mean Alane is British or something?"

"I... Don't know," Dipper replied. He added that to the list of things to think about later.

He continued onto the next entry, "'The ship ride to America has been long and gruesome, but we are supposed to dock sometime in the following days. I can't wait to feel solid ground beneath my feet once more, and it'll be nice to be away from the lot I've been sailing with. Their stench is going to drive me to insanity.'"

The next entry had no date, and was scribbled hurriedly. "'A massive storm is blowing us off course. Passengers and luggage keep falling overboard. We've lost a dozen so far, and I've fallen in once myself.'

"'I have very little confidence that we'll make it to shore in one piece.'" 

"Oh man, this would make a great TV show!" Soos said suddenly. "It's so thrilling and suspenseful."

Dipper ignored Soos, as he was finding the notebook to be rather thrilling as well, and wanted to continue the story. "'The ship went down. The boards shattered upon impact of a rather large wave. The remaining passengers and sailors crammed into a smaller boat to try and get to safety. I made sure that they arrived on a nearby island to wait out the storm.'

"'However, the Captain went down with the ship. There was nothing I could do to help him.'

"'The storm had blown us around a great deal, but we were actually very close to America's shores. I made my way to land, and have since arrived in Charles Town. I won't go into great detail regarding my trip here, for the sake of saving space.'

Yet another page turn. "'It's been a few months since my last entry,'" Dipper read. "'Once again, my friend has offered to make things easier for me, but I have not accepted his offer. I don't want things to be done for me. I won't feel right unless I earn everything myself, just like everyone else.'

"'Since my last entry, I've actually started my own shop in Charles Town. It's small and in a building that is in need of repairs, but it's a start. I've been selling clothes and baked goods. Who knew knitting and sewing could be so much fun, as well as profitable?'

"'I plan on hiring some of the locals to help at my shop. There are often beggars in the streets who are in need of work. Surely, if they're starving, they won't mind having me as their employer?'"

On the next page, everything that had been written was scribbled out, as well as the page after. The third page wasn't scribbled, but it was almost blank, save for one line at the top. "'Shop burned down,'" Dipper read.

"I wonder what happened..." Soos muttered.

Dipper shrugged. He was so confused- what was Alane? Assuming her notebook was true, and she really was alive back then, how does she only look like a teenager? How'd she guide that boat to the island, how'd she swim the rest of the way to America, and what happened to her store?

"Dude," Soos said suddenly, looking over at the door. "Did you hear that?"

The two of them fell silent, looking towards the door. After a second, he heard it. Footsteps.

Quick as he could, Dipper hid the notebook in his vest then stood and ran to the window. He pulled down the sheet blocking it as Soos turned off the lantern and stood up.

Dipper then remembered that the door was locked. He ran, stumbling over the lantern, but keeping himself from falling over by grabbing the doorknob. He unlocked it and jumped away, the door opening only a second later.

In came Candy, Grenda, Mabel, and an annoyed looking Alane.


	12. Chapter Ten

Alane and Mabel had gone into town and met up with Candy and Grenda, stopping by the local crafting store to pick up a few things for their bedazzling apocalypse. On the way back to the shack, Mabel, Candy and Grenda all chatted about various pointless things.

Alane, however, was fighting very hard to hold down her panic.

Her notebook held all the information about her most recent few hundred years. Whoever got a hold of that would find out what she was and, being human, would probably panic. She'd have to go on the run again, risk even more FBI agents on her tail.

But that couldn't happen, because Bill wanted her to stay in Gravity Falls. He hadn't said why yet, but she knew she should listen to him. Things were always better when she did.

The group eventually arrived back at the shack. Candy and Grenda had run in right away, but Mabel hung back, seeming to notice something was wrong with Alane. "You alright?" She asked, walking over to Alane who was hugging her own torso as she shook slightly.

"I-I lost my notebook," she murmured. "It w-was in my room, but it's g-gone n-now. I need t-to find it, it was a gift from my d-dad." Was it wrong that lying came so easily to her?

"Your notebook?" Mabel asked, looking for away for a second, a frown on her face. She looked back at Alane a moment later, grinning again. "How about we go ask Dipper? He might know something about it?"

Alane actually had to stifle a growl. _A growl? Seriously? I may not be human, but I am not a wild animal,_ she thought to herself, instead giving Mabel a small smile. "Yeah, let's g-go ask Dipper."

 

The four of them now stood just inside the twins' bedroom. Candy and Grenda held bedazzling guns at the ready, giggling happily. Mabel was just in front of Alane, eyeing Dipper. Alane, however, was glaring at him. He was obviously uncomfortable about it.

"Hey, Sir Dipping Sauce," Mabel said. She was trying to be friendly, though it was clear she was upset at him. "You happen to know where Alane's notebook went?"

"Tell us or we'll bedazzle your faces!" Candy said, pushing up her glasses.

"N-notebook? I don't know anything about a notebook. How about you, Soos?" Dipper said quickly, turning to his friend.

Soos looked extremely uncomfortable, his eyes darting around the room, as if looking for an escape. "Uh, notebook? Nah, never heard of any notebook. What's a notebook? Oh, I think Mr. Pines is calling me!" He said suddenly, and ran from the room. Alane hadn't heard Stan's voice.

"See? No notebook here," Dipper said with a shaky smile.

Mabel stared at him skeptically for a moment before nodding. "Alright then." She turned to leave, Candy and Grenda going out of the room ahead of her, Alane remaining where she was. "If you find it later, tell us. Oh, and we're about to have a bedazzling war. If you're caught in the crossfire, you won't be spared!" She ended with a joyful laugh before leaving.

Alane stood by the door, arms crossed, staring at Dipper. He stood there, taping his fingers together awkwardly while rocking back and forth on his feet.

"I don't know you all that well, Dipper, which means I can't tell if you're lying or not." She squinted at him. "You sure as heck seem guilty of something though.

"That notebook means a lot to me. If you happen to find it... Just leave it with my stuff. I'd appreciate it." Alane then turned and left, following Mabel down to the first floor.

Dipper was probably lying. Who else would have her notebook, aside from him? But she didn't want to outright accuse him of stealing it. On the slim chance he didn't have it, or didn't read it yet, that could get complicated. 

_It was stupid to begin keeping a journal in the first place,_ she thought to herself angrily as she walked into the living room. The other girls were already setting up for the war; boxes stacked around the room to act as make-shift walls, and containers of bedazzling gems spread all around.

She sighed. _If Dipper has it, I'll give him a chance to return it. I've got a war to fight in right now._


	13. Chapter Eleven

Dipper's heart pounded quickly in his chest as he slid to the floor against his bed. He ran a shaky hand down his face, breathing a sigh of relief. That was a close one.

Soos had left him on his own with the girls and that thing. He didn't appreciate it, but he understood his fear. Plus, Soos had already covered for him once that day. He probably felt uncomfortable lying again.

He felt uncomfortable with lying as well. He could feel his guilt churning in him, knowing that, sometime, he'll have to tell Mabel what he'd learned, and that he'd gotten it straight from Alane's notebook. She'd know he had lied to her. She would be upset then.

But this was now, and he had to figure out what else was in the notebook.

He didn't wait for Soos. Instead, he got up onto his bed and opened up the mysterious journal he'd found in the woods, placing the smaller notebook on the inside of it. Now anyone who came into the room would just think he was reading that, not Alane's diary. And if Soos came back and was still interested in reading the rest of it, Dipper could get him up to speed.

With great relish, Dipper flipped to the page he was on.

"'I've learned to protect my trust from those unworthy of it,'" Dipper read aloud in a hushed whisper. He enjoyed hearing the sound of his voice, and saying things out loud helped him grasp a better understanding of it. "'Though I do suppose it was partly my fault that all that happened. I need to be more careful.'

"'At times, I honestly forget that I'm living with simpletons. Not everyone is as... Intelligent, as I. But really though, how does being able to swim mean I'm a witch? It's outright stupid. But people believe it, and people are put to death because of it. What a shame.'

"'Now that... Everything I've made for myself, everything I'd earned... Is gone... I've taken my friend up on his offer. It just seems like the most logical thing to do.'

Page flip. "'My friend is, what you might call, a spirit. Some might say a demon.'" Dipper squealed with excitement. After a second of deep breaths to calm himself, he continued. "'He's requested that I don't include his name in this journal, and that I won't.'

"'My friend brought me to a neighboring town, then took off. I had assumed he was out 'working his magic' as he calls it. I'd technically been right.'

"'His idea of helping me is a little extreme. I thought he might get me a house to live in, perhaps one without rent, being at most. But he'd entered the minds of a wealthy man and his wife, and altered their memories. They now believe I am their daughter.'

"'Mr. and Mrs. Brown are incredibly nice people, but you can probably understand that I'm uncomfortable with this arrangement. My friend told me it was only temporary though, so I will keep my feelings to myself and go along. He knows what's best.'"

Dipper was a bit confused. Bill was _helping_ Alane? And she called him her _friend?_ What was going on?

The next entry was dated, surprisingly, two years later. "'It's 1676 now. I'm sorry I've been idle with my entries. The help misplaced my notebook months ago, and I've only just gotten a hold of it again.'

"'I'm still staying with the Browns. They are very kind people. I've been tutored by the best professors around, though if anything, _they've_ learned from _me._ They all believe me to be a genius, which, I will not lie, is true.'

"'My friend has been itching to move on for awhile. I suspect I will have to go, eventually. The Browns have a child of their own now, so it's not like I will be missed too much.'"

The next page's date was an astounding ten years later. "'Hello again,'" Dipper read quietly. "'It's been a while. I mainly keep this notebook around for comfort now. It's nice to have something that remains the same, you know? My entries will be less frequent from here on out. I need to conserve space, anyway.'

"'Regarding my last entry, I left a week after I wrote that. As was suspected, my disappearance went almost unnoticed. Only the servants of the house really cared. I was good friends with them, and have paid them visits whenever I'm nearby. They've been short, and usually later in the day. I can't risk them seeing how little I've aged these past ten years.'

"'Mr. Brown has also recently passed away, just after the birth of his third child. A daughter. I was touched to know he named her Alane, though it did feel a bit like a replacement. That doesn't matter though. I visited him the night he died, as I do with all those who help me, or I befriend. He thought I was an angel.'

"'As for what I've been doing these past few years, it hasn't been much, nor has it been too interesting. I've explored a great deal. I was scalped by Indians on a few occasions, twice by the same man. I think they may believe me to be a god, or a spirit now? My friend didn't want me to stay too long, so I don't know for sure.'"

As Dipper turned the page, Soos came into the room. Dipper set the book down, journal covering it in case someone was with him.

"Dude, you started without me?" Soos said with a laugh. He didn't seem too disappointed. "What did I miss?"

"Alane's place was burnt down because the town thought she was a witch. She moved in with a family for a few years, left, and became a deity worshiped by some of the native Americans," Dipper said, picking up the book again. Soos sat down at the other end of the bed, waiting for Dipper to begin.

Dipper skipped to the next entry. It was even later in time. "'It's 1701 now, about 15 years since my last entry. I have nothing of interest to say. I haven't done a lot, simply more exploring. Just making an entry to tell my friend I have. Goodbye for now.'"

He turned the page. "'Something interesting has finally happened!" The page read in large, messy letters. "'It's wartime here in America- a revolution! The year is 1773, the date December 17th. Yesterday, I, along with a large group of men, dumped dozens of crates of tea into a harbor. My friend found it absolutely hilarious, as did I. Though the men did get a bit ruffled when they found out I was, in fact, a girl. First time I was scolded by anyone in a while. It was rather refreshing.'

"'Anyway, I've gotten into gossiping with people here in Boston. It's not _official_ yet or anything, but there's talk of a possible war, which, as I said above, would be a revolution. America would be fighting for it's independence. I'm very interested in seeing how this plays out!'"

Dipper found it a little unsettling that Alane was so hyped for war. He shook his head slightly, as if to dispel the feeling, then began reading the next entry. "'1783 now. The revolution certainly was exciting for a lot of reasons. But, sadly, I wasn't allowed to go to war. The generals wouldn't allow a _girl_ to fight. I do hope they change that in the future.'

"'As for me now, I'm living life on the trail. It's a relaxing sorta life style. I wander the land, making a living bartering my sewing to people in towns I visits. It's nice.'

"'I need to go now, the fire is running low. I'll write again when I can. Hopefully it won't be so long?'"

When he saw the date of the next entry, he laughed. "'June, 1901,'" he read. "'I have had such a hectic time! I see I've got some space, so time for a story.'"

"Ooh, a story inside a story," Soos commented with a laugh.

"'Sometime around 1850, I traded my journal by mistake. It'd been wrapped up in sewing, and the man who'd bought it went ahead and took it too. My friend told me I had to get it back before it was read, so I found the man in the town's pub.'

"'To my absolute horror, the man was drunk and _reading my notebook to the crowd!_ I could only stand outside, I wasn't allowed in, and watch.'

"'The man told everyone it was a true story, you see. Said he got the book from the 'little girl' who'd been writing it. Then, as was to be expected, fights ended up breaking out. People didn't believe I'd lived through all that and thought the man was making stuff up.'

"'The notebook was lost in the fight. I couldn't find it anywhere. I hunted down the man, and my friend... _Persuaded_ him into telling us what happened. Said his buddy took it to see if it was authentic.'

"'Trouble was, he was going all the way to New York! Apparently he was moving and knew a guy up there who collected old books. He was going to have him check it out, sell it if it was authentic, then send the man two thirds of the cash.'

"'So I went to New York. I eventually found the man, who then brought me to his friend because he sold it. Only _that_ man had sold it to another collector.'

"'I ended up all across the country trying to track this thing down. I gave up last December. Then, guess where I found it? I was cleaning a wealthy family's house to make a quick dollar, when I spotted it in their parlor!'

"'I'm only slightly ashamed to admit I stole the journal. It was mine, after all. I left without being paid for the cleaning, then went on the road again. I've only just had time to write this entry.'

"'Speaking of which, I think I've written a bit much. I'd better end this here.'"

The next entry was from 1928. "'You know what I've realized? Dresses are idiotic, as are corsets. What are their points? To make a girl look prettier? Looks shouldn't matter so much.'

"'I've traded out my long-time dress in favor of a sweater I knitted. I... I ran out of yarn near the end, though. It only reaches midway down my torso. I think it looks decent, with the shirt I wear under it at least. And the pants are very comfortable! Though I do keep getting weird stares from people.'

"'Let them stare though. I am not spending another day in a dress, as long as I live.'"

"That's right! Do what you want!" Soos shouted encouragingly, punching a fist in the air. Dipper looked at him funny, causing Soos to laugh apologetically. "Sorry, dude. Got caught up in the story."

Rolling his eyes, Dipper continued. For some reason, a page was missing from the journal. After wondering for a moment what it could've said, he shrugged and went to the next entry. "'Forgive me, but I can't remember what year it is. This happens sometimes. I just lose track, haha.'

"'Anyway, I _think_ it's sometime in the 1970s? Yes, sometime in there. My friend has been trying to convince me to go to a college as of late. Says I can teach the world a thing or two. I'm unsure about it though; it's been awhile since I've been around a lot of humans. I'm sort of... Nervous?'

"'My friend says it's stupid for me to be hesitant about this. I know he's right, and I just need to get over it. But college? Really? Not only do I already know much more about everything than the average human, but I look like a child. In reality, I'm nearing fourteen thousand years old, but I'm often mistaken for being only fourteen.'

"'How am I supposed to blend in at a college when I look like this?'"

He turned to the next page. "'It's been a week, and I've thought it over. I'm going to go to college.'

"'I don't expect to learn much, if anything. But my friend has been pestering me about it constantly, and I really want him to stop. Seems like this is the only way to accomplish that.'

"'My friend suggested a college in my area to try and apply to first. It's called 'Backupsmore University,' and is a rather low ranking college. Not my first choice, but then again, it is called Backupsmore.'"

"Hey," Soos said, narrowing his eyes. "Alane was asking me about that. She was wondering if Mr. Pines ever went there."

Dipper rolled that information over in his head. "Odd," he finally muttered. "I wonder why." He then turned to the next entry.

"'College is great,'" it read. "'I thought I might stand out, but turns out the college is holding an event for high school students, so I fit right in! Plus I'm doing incredibly well so far; I've only been here a day, and I've already reached the top of two of my classes.'

"'Oh, and I met someone when I arrived here the other day. My friend had left me, told me to get acquainted and settled on my own. So, naturally, I went over to the first friendly-looking person I saw. I introduced myself, and he ended up showing me around the entire university. It was very kind of him!'

"'His name, by the way, is Ford. Stanford Pines.'"

Dipper actually dropped the book as he read that aloud, as if it were something poisonous. "Dude," Soos laughed, his voice shaking a bit. "That can't be the same Mr. Pines, right?"

"No... No, it can't be," Dipper said, looking at the notebook. "He would've said something. I mean, she apparently hasn't aged since then, so he would've been surprised...

"But I keep seeing Alane watching Stan," Dipper continued, his voice rising an octave. "And all the questions she's been asking... Maybe it is the same Stan, and he just thinks Alane is, I don't know, the daughter of the Alane he went to college with or something?"

"Dude," Soos said suddenly. "If this Stan is the same Stan that she met, then why hasn't she said anything to him? Hasn't reminded him who she is or something?"

Dipper could feel the blood draining from his face. "What if she's here _because_ this is the same Stan? What if... What if something happened in college, and she's here to get revenge on him?" Without thinking, he stood up from the bed and began to pace.

"Mr. Pines does seem like the kinda guy who would pull extreme pranks in college or something..." Soos said thoughtfully as he watched Dipper. "But what could be so bad that it'd make Alane hold a grudge this long?"

"You gotta remember, she's working with Bill. Maybe they've made a deal with each other. They could be going after Stan to get revenge and to mess with us."

"You know," a voice piped up from the doorway, causing the two to stop talking. Dipper felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end in pure terror. "Instead of making assumptions about who I am and what I'm doing, you could just read the rest of _my diary._ You already stole it, so you might as well."

Alane ended by pulling the door shut behind her. She locked it before leaning back against the old wood, arms crossed in front of her. "Well? You gonna continue story time or what?"


	14. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot more talking.

Alane picked bedazzling beads from her hair and clothes, eyeing Dipper all the while. "Well?" She said, growl edging her voice. "Don't let me keep you guys waiting. Continue reading your stolen property."

The bedazzling war had lasted but ten minutes, Stan having heard the commotion and ended the war when he was shot in the crossfire. The four girls had then cleaned up the mess and put everything away.

Candy and Grenda suggested once they were done that they go back into town for ice cream. Mabel had been open to the idea, but Alane told them she wasn't feeling too great and wanted to hang back. They'd gone without her, and Alane had gone straight up to the attic.

She'd been hanging outside the door for a few minutes, listening to them reading from her diary. She nearly lost it when she first heard them, but had since regained control.

However, she couldn't just stand out there and listen to them make theories about her. Revenge? Working for Bill? If they were going to make theories, they could at least put some effort into them.

Now Dipper stood in front of her, pale faced and twitching. Soos sat on Dipper's bed, trying very hard to avoid eye contact with her. Neither of them looked like they were going to continue reading.

Alane waved a hand towards her diary, which was laying not even two feet away from Soos on the bed. "Go on, then," she said, glaring at Dipper. "Read the rest. When you're done, then you can throw theories at each other. Heck, you can do whatever you want once you've finished, as long as you give it back." The whole menacing shtick wasn't really working for her.

Slowly, as if he was only half awake, Dipper walked back to the diary. He opened it back up, flipping through until he found his place, then cleared his throat.

"'My first week of college is through with. It's early morning now, and a Friday. I'm officially at the top of all my classes, aside the one I share with Ford, in which he's bested me. I must say, I'm impressed.'

"'Speaking of Ford, he sought me out during lunch today. He invited me on a 'study date,' and I'm supposed to meet him tomorrow. He seemed very happy when I accepted his offer. I'm rather excited, too. It's been awhile since I've been able to make a friend, and Ford seems nice enough.'"

Shakily, Dipper turned the page. "'I told Ford,'" he read slowly. "'I told him what I am and told him some of what I can do. Okay, I guess I told him what I _wasn't._ I don't know what I was thinking.'

"'I've never told anyone before. I always played the part of a plain and proper teenage girl. I... Well, I assumed that, upon finding out, Ford would be shocked, horrified even. I was, and still am, surprised that he took it in stride. In fact, he wants me to meet up with him and run some tests. He said it wouldn't be anything too tough, so I've agreed to meet him tomorrow night.'

"'Ford says he can help me figure out just what exactly I am. My entire life, I've lived not knowing whether I was a mutant human, an alien or even a demon. The fact that Ford might be able to help me figure it out... I've never been this happy. I truly owe him a lot for even trying.'

"'Side note: I met Ford's roommate, Fiddleford McGucket. He is friendly enough and very bright. I'm calling him Ford Point Two just to mess with the guys.'"

"Dude," Soos said, looking over at Alane. "You know McGucket?" He then seemed to realize that he'd made eye contact and quickly looked away.

Alane shrugged and Dipper turned to the next page. "I knew him, but he was always busy working on his computers, so we didn't talk much. Why, you know him or something?" She ended with a sarcastic laugh.

"Yeah, dawg. He lives in the dump," Soos said without looking at her.

Alane didn't reply to this. She just gripped each of her arms tightly and waited for Dipper to continue.

"Well that's strange," Dipper murmured, looking at the book. "Pages are missing."

"You wouldn't want to read them," Alane muttered, looking at the floor. "They weren't very pretty. I... I left the last one. You'll know what I mean when you see it."

Dipper turned to the next page, instantly uttering a loud gasp. Alane nodded her head forlornly as Soos scooted over to look.

Alane knew the page well. She'd stared at it for hours when she'd woken up in the woods after that last experiment Ford had been wanting to run.

"'I hurt him,'" Dipper read aloud from what Alane knew was bold and jagged handwriting, not much unlike what you'd see written on walls in horror films. "'I hurt Ford. What have I done. What am I? I hurt him. What have I done...'" Dipper trailed off, looking up at Alane. Her face was growing a bit red as she held back tears. "What happened?"

"Just keep reading," she murmured.

Dipper did as she said as Soos sat back from looking at the page, his eyes wide. There was a rustle as Dipper turned the page again. "'My friend knew this could happen. He'd never told me because he knew I'd panic about it. It's not safe for me to be around people.'

"'I'd go into the woods and never come out if I could. I don't want to hurt anyone else. But my friend said Ford had told the authorities about me, and that I need to go on the run. I don't know what I'm going to do.'

"'I guess there's nothing I _can_ do but listen to my friend and hope for the best. I just need to remember to stay calm. I can't risk getting worked up.'"

Dipper turned the page. "'Things have been quiet mostly. I've seen wanted posters around town, but since I've left, they've all but vanished. I still run into problems if I hang around a place too long. I just need to keep moving.'"

Another page turn. "'I made the mistake of going to a large town and trying to start my life over. I was caught on a camera or something, and the police raided my house looking for me. I'm on the run again.'"

He turned another page. "'More wanted posters, more people keeping an eye out for me. It's been fifteen years- can't they just forget I exist?'"

Dipper turned to yet another page. "'FBI agents have been assigned to my case, apparently. I keep seeing them all over the place. A young guy who doesn't seem too sure of himself, and a guy who looks to be about thirty. He never laughs, and I've never seen him smile.'"

Yet another turn. "'Tried to go into a big city to lose the FBI again, but my friend stopped me. He thinks I need to go into a backwoods town instead, someplace without too many cameras and with mediocre law enforcement. I'm just going to walk until I find someplace suitable.'"

This time Soos turned the page, a goofy grin on his face. A small smile spread across Alane's face. "'I've been meaning to write, but I've only just had the time... Sorry I guess, book without a consciousness... Why am I even apologizing?'" Dipper read.

"'I arrived in a small town called Gravity Falls not long ago. I met some nice teenagers in town, who introduced me to two twins named Mabel and Dipper Pines. They seem like sweet kids, though Dipper obviously has something against me.'" Dipper's face grew a bit red.

He continued, "'I haven't known Mabel long and she's already become a great friend of mine. I forgot what it was like to have a friend besides the one I keep referring to as 'my friend'. He doesn't really count though. He's, ah... More like a father figure.'

"'Mabel let me stay at their place while I'm in town. My friend actually wants me to stay here for awhile, until the FBI have moved past this area. Apparently, they've got a large group of other agents with them now.'

"'However, I do have my concerns about staying here. The twins' uncle is named Stanford Pines. He... He looks a lot like 'my' Ford. I'm worried it might be him? He hasn't acted like he knows me yet, but my friend did say Ford had a minor head injury as a result of... What happened. Perhaps he has amnesia? I'll need to test that.'" 

Dipper turned to the next page. "'Gravity Falls appears to be a peaceful town. However, one of the children I am staying with has given me reason to believe that this is incorrect. She mentioned aliens, monsters and gnomes(?), and she also spoke of someone named Bill. I think she was referring to the Bill I know, though I have no clue as to how they know him. He's never mentioned them.

"The child's twin brother is suspicious about me, and apparently everyone he meets, so his sister says. I assume that whatever has been going on in this town has scarred him deeply. I feel sorry for the twins. No child should be so scared that they lose trust in their own kind.

"But, of course, I'm not really of their kind, am I?'"

This entry was fairly new, the ink smudged on the page and still a little wet. "'Staying with the Pines is nice. It's like I have a family. Believe it or not, I've never felt this way before. Even with the Browns, all those years ago. Mabel is like the sister I never had. Even starting to like Stan, who've I've learned is in fact _not_ Ford, and I know that if Dipper would give me a chance, we could be good friends, too.'

"'Just wanted to make a quick entry. My friend won't reply and I'm getting really bored. I'll write again later if anything interesting happens.'"

When Dipper turned the page, he found it to be blank.

Alane walked over quietly, gently taking the book from Dipper's hands. She put it back in her pocket then looked at Dipper, then Soos, in turn. "I assume you both have questions?" She asked quietly. She itched to leave, just start running and never look back. But she knew she couldn't go without saying goodbye to Mabel, and she wasn't even home.

Plus, the two were probably confused, if not scared. Seemed only right to answer a few questions before she just took off again.

Dipper started talking quicker than Alane thought possible, and Soos too was trying to get a few questions in. Alane blinked slowly as she tried to understand what they were saying. After a minute, she sighed loudly and held up her hand, exposing the closed-eye tattoo on her palm. "One question at a time. Soos, you first."

"Uh," Soos said, looking away from Alane. He seemed to be deep in thought. He eventually looked back and pointed at her hands. "What's that?"

Alane looked at her palm, running a finger along the tattoo. "I honestly have no idea," she replied to him, looking up. "Just always had it. Okay, Dipper. Your turn. Just... Try to speak slowly."

Dipper took a deep breath, pressing two fingers together in front of him in a contemplating gesture. "Do you know Bill Cipher?" He finally asked, then shook his head angrily. "No, I mean, do you _work_ for Bill? Which I guess is answering the previous question too. Not like you could work for him and not know who he was..." He trailed off with an awkward laugh.

Alane crossed her arms, tilted her head to the side and stared at Dipper for a moment through squinted eyes. After a second of watching Dipper stand there uncomfortably, she gave him a short nod. "He's been a friend of mine for as long as I can remember," she said evenly. "Though 'working for him' isn't really accurate."

"You do realize he-"

"Bill has already explained his history with your family to me," Alane cut Dipper off, holding up a hand again. "I understand that you guys dislike him, but Bill has always been there when I needed him. You've just gotta learn that he likes to mess with people, which was all he was doing to you guys."

Alane laughed. "And trust me, you guys got it easy with him. You should've seen what he did to a viking family I stayed with a few hundred years ago."

"What did he..." Dipper began to ask, but Alane cut him off by turning back to Soos.

"Your turn again."

"Though I am curious about those vikings," Soos said in all seriousness. "I've gotta know. At the beginning, you mentioned a dude named Leonardo. Who was he?"

"Oh, Leonardo? He was a close friend of mine. He enjoyed painting."

"Wait," Dipper pipped up. "Painting? Are you talking about Leonardo da Vinci?"

Alane chuckled. "Yeah. He was really cool."

It looked to Alane that Dipper was going to begin babbling again, so she quickly told him it was his turn to ask a question about the notebook. "I'm giving you each two more after this, so make them count," she added.

Dipper leaned back against his bed. "What happened..? With Ford, I mean."

"Uh..." Alane muttered. "Next question?"

Both Dipper and Soos gave her the same pointed look. She sighed.

"If I tell you, I'm counting this as the final question. No more after this. Got it?" The two looked at each other a moment, then Dipper nodded. Alane took a deep breath.

"Ford and I were close. He was the only one who knew what I could do, the only person I had ever told. He told me he could help me reach my full potential and, more importantly, figure out what exactly I was. That's what I really wanted.

"We begun tests. They were simple at first. He'd have me run around the campus a few times at different paces to test my stamina, have me lift various heavy objects. The tests got harder as we went on though. Ford didn't seem to realize that I had my limits.

"A day came when I was tired of it. Ford was taking the tests too far and had begun experimenting on me as well. I decided to tell him I was through with it, and that he needed to stop his research.

"I found him in the basement below the dorms. It was his own personal lab, really. All kinds of experimenting equipment and things... It was there I tried to tell him. But he didn't listen. He was excited for his next test, which was going to be a dissection."

Alane rubbed her face. "As I said, I have my limits. I can heal from minor injuries, but a dissection? Something that extreme would kill me. Ford knew it.

"We ended up fighting, and something inside me... Lashed out." Alane sighed. "Kinda hard to explain it, but basically, I turn... Different, if I get worked up. Too mad, too upset... Gotta stay cool and collect at all times now.

"Thing was, I didn't know about this back then. I lost control and I hurt Ford. I didn't kill him or anything," she added hurriedly. "Just knocked him out. Then he told the authorities everything when he woke up and I had to run."

The two were silent after Alane had finished. She stood there awkwardly, arms wrapped around her as if she were hugging herself. "I know you guys think I'm some monster," she said quietly, looking at the floor. "And you're right. I _am_ a monster. I'm a complete freak of nature. But I'm not after revenge and I'm not here to hurt anyone. I just wanted a place to hide for a little bit until the coast was clear.

"Never less, I do understand if you guys want me gone." She looked over at Dipper. "Now that you guys know, I'm not safe here like I was before, anyway. I can leave first thing in the morning."

"I... I think that'd be for the best," Dipper muttered.

Soos looked over at him in shock. "Dude, are you joking?" He asked shakily, laugh edging his voice. "You can't just kick her out with those dudes looking for her."

"No, it's fine, Soos," Alane told him with a small smile. "Really, it's fine. I need until tomorrow though. I have to find something to pack my stuff in, and I need to say goodbye to Mabel."

Dipper nodded to her then walked to the door. After unlocking it, he opened it quietly and left the room. But as Dipper walked away, Alane grabbed him by the arm. He stopped, tensing, before looking back at Alane.

"I trust that you won't tell anyone about what I am?" Alane asked quietly. " _Anyone?_ Not even your sister?" Alane didn't want to keep her secret from Mabel, especially since Dipper and Soos both knew now. But she didn't want Mabel to cast her aside for being a freak, either.

Dipper looked Alane in the eyes for a moment before giving her a reluctant nod. Alane let go of his arm and he headed down the stairs.

"Thanks, uh, for explaining this to us, dude," Soos said from behind her, causing her to turn back around. "And I'm sorry that you've gotta leave, but... I got one more question."

Alane gestured for him to continue.

"In your diary," Soos said slowly. "You mentioned a shipwreck. I'm, ah, a little confused on how that played out."

She smiled a small smile. "Shape shifted into a whale, helped the rowboat to shore by swimming under it and creating waves, then swam to mainland like that."

"You can shape shift? That's really cool, dude," Soos said with a grin, then pointed towards the stairs leading from the attic. "Hey, I better go make sure Dipper doesn't, I dunno, tell the whole US government about you," Soos laughed.

Alane joined in hesitantly. "Yeah, you, uh, go do that."

Soos then walked past her and followed Dipper downstairs. She heard him calling his name as he went.

Now alone, Alane leaned up against a wall and sighed. _Now what am I going to do?_

 

Alane zipped her suitcase closed with a satisfied huff before rubbing her eyes sleepily.

It was sometime late at night. Alane had spent the remainder of the day hanging out with Mabel, who'd brought her "get well ice cream". She'd felt even guiltier because she'd forgotten she was supposed to be feeling sick.

Though she typically went to bed fairly early, Alane stayed up till Stan sent the twins to bed. After exchanging an awkward greeting and goodbye with Stan, she'd gone to her room and begun packing her things in a suitcase Dipper had brought her.

Dipper was actually annoying her a lot. He'd stolen her property, read through extremely personal things, then hadn't even apologized about it. To top it off, he was kicking her out. Sure, she'd been the one to bring it up, but she hadn't thought he would actually, well, _kick her out_. If not because he was beginning to like her or trust her, then perhaps for Mabel. But she guessed not.

Now it was who-knows-how-late and she was just finished packing. It shouldn't have taken so long, but she had wanted to make sure everything Mabel and her had bought was neatly folded and organized.

Having now finished with the packing, Alane pulled the bag from her bed and set it on the floor. Without bothering to change, she crawled beneath the sheets.

 _So much for that 'nice day',_ Alane thought to herself with a sour smile as she tried to get comfortable. Not long later, she was fast asleep.


	15. Chapter Thirteen

Alane woke up sometime in the afternoon with a splitting headache. She had kept waking up in the middle of the night with that strange falling-feeling you get sometimes. It was weird that it happened so often, but she dismissed it. She didn't have much more time before she had to leave, and she didn't want anything stupid stressing her out.

Before she left her room, Alane changed back into her old brown sweater and packed the panda one she'd had on before. After that, she went out into the hall.

She was surprised to find the house completely empty. She walked from room to room, looking for anyone. As she walked into the living room, a loud _'boom!'_ rang outside. Startled, she ran to the door.

Outside, scattered around the yard were bits of fireworks and actual fire. The sheriff and deputy were walking away chuckling to themselves, so Alane assumed there was no real danger. That was a huge relief. She'd been sure for a second that a bomb had been set off.

From up on the roof, Alane heard the murmur of voices. After making sure she was herself, that noise had spooked her and she had to be sure she wasn't changing into that _thing,_ Alane stepped off the porch and around the house until she saw who was talking.

Mr. Pines, Mabel and Dipper were all up on the roof. They looked to be coming down now. "Oh, Alane!" Mabel said suddenly, causing Alane to jump. She'd turned around and spoken so quickly, as if she'd seen her with her back turned. "You're awake!"

"Yeah," Alane chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck as her head throbbed. "Had trouble falling asleep. What happened out here?"

"We were setting off fireworks!" Mabel said excitedly as she climbed down from the roof. "We were gonna get you, but Dipper didn't think we should wake you up."

Alane glanced over at Dipper. "Very thoughtful of you," she muttered. He wouldn't meet her eyes, which annoyed her. But, at least it seemed like he'd kept his word and hadn't told Mabel anything. "So," she said, looking back at Mabel as Stan, who'd climbed down behind the twins, elbowed Dipper playfully. "What's with the fire?"

"The fireworks weren't necessarily _'safe,'"_ Mabel said, using air quotes. "But it's fine, Grunkle Stan said we can put everything out with water balloons!"

 

About ten minutes later, Alane and the twins began an all-out water war. Dipper seemed to forget his wariness towards Alane as she and his sister began to pelt him with balloons. Dipper would throw one whenever he wasn't dodging them, but they wouldn't go too far.

"Seriously?" Dipper said to no one in particular as his blue water balloon only landed a foot from him.

In response, Mabel threw a yellow balloon at him, catching him right in the face. He fell back, and Alane and Mabel ran towards him screeching battle cries.

"Ah, this is what Saturdays are for. Doing dumb things forever," Stan said from the porch, where he was sitting on an old sofa. He raised up his soda as he said this, as if making a toast.

"Dumb things forever!" Both twins yelled as the jumped into a pile of water balloons. Alane stood nearby, laughing as she avoided the splash it had caused.

"Whoa there!" Stan laughed as he was nearly splashed with water.

"To Grunkle Stan," Mabel said, raising her fruit pop up in mimic of Stan and his soda. "Not just a great uncle..."

"The greatest uncle!" Dipper finished as both he and Mabel threw balloons at him.

Stan laughed, standing up. "Alright, alright," he chuckled. "I tell ya, it's unnatural for siblings to get along as well as you do."

Mabel laughed. "Don't worry, we've still got plenty of summer left to drive each other crazy!" She ended by hugging Dipper, who then pried her from him and dropped a water balloon on her face.

"Heh, yeah. Plenty of summer left." Stan seemed suddenly downcast. He sighed. "Kids there's something I, uh..." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as the twins walked over. "Something I should tell you. It's um, well, it's complicated."

Alane stood a little ways off, watching the family talk. She didn't feel like she should be part of the conversation, but didn't know if she should leave or not. So she just stood there. 

The twins looked at Stan, confused. "I... I'm gonna go refresh my soda," Stan finally said, giving them a shaky smile as he walked away, passing right by Alane who stood at the corner of the house.

"Enjoy it while you can, Stan. They'll find out sooner or later," he said to himself as he passed by. He stopped just outside of a window, just barely within earshot of Alane. "Today's the day."

"I wonder what that was about?" Mabel asked Dipper from where they still stood. Dipper shrugged.

However, Alane was still watching Stan. He seemed confused. "What is that, a ladybug?" She thought she heard him say as he swatted his fez. Suddenly, his entire body was lit up with red dots. "What the?"

"Oh no," Alane and Stan said at the exact same time as suddenly a man burst from the forest foliage and tackled Stan to the ground.

Following him into the clearing were the two agents that had been following Alane. "Target secure, take the house!" The younger one said. The rumble of helicopters filled the air as two of them suddenly flew overhead.

"What the?" Mabel said in fear as she and Dipper were surrounded.

"Kids are secure. Roof team, go!" One of the men said into a Walkie Talkie.

"Oh no, oh no oh no oh no oh no," Alane gasped, backing up until she hit a tree.

The branches whipped around in the wind as a chopper stopped over the house. From it, men slid down on ropes and burst into the shack through the windows. More of them burst in through the doors.

No one seemed to have noticed Alane yet, but she was too busy trying to keep herself together to make a run for it.

"Hey, hands off, you stooge," Stan grumbled at a man as he was brought over, roughly, to a car and slammed against the hood. Dipper and Mabel walked towards him. "I don't understand..! What did I do that warrants this much arresting?" 

Two men walked over to them, who Alane knew were the agents that had been following her. "The government guys?" Dipper asked in confusion. "I thought you got eaten by zombies?"

"We survived. Barely," the younger one said.

"I used Trigger as a human shield," the older one said, gesturing to his partner. "He cried like a baby."

Trigger seemed embarrassed, muttering something to the older man as he walked towards Stan.

"This is security footage of a government waste facility. At oh-four-hundred last night someone robbed three hundred gallons of dangerous waste." He held out a screen, which played a short video of someone taking barrels from a room, dressed in a hazmat suit.

"What? You think that's me?" Stan said, anger creeping into his voice as he fought to stand up straight, but the other man held him down.

"Don't play dumb with us, Pines," the older agent said, leaning closer to Stan.

"But, but I actually am dumb!" Stan protested as the man holding him began to lead him to a different car. "Last night I was restocking the gift shop, I swear!"

"Wait, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel yelled, before turning back to the older agent. "You've got the wrong guy! Our Grunkle Stan might shoplift the occasional tangerine, but he's not some evil super villain!"

The agent sighed, bending down onto one knee to look the twins in the eyes. "Listen, kid. We've been watching your family all summer and we've seen some disturbing things, but nothing as dangerous as what your uncle is hiding. Somewhere hidden in this shack is a doomsday device." He finished in a voice just below a yell.

The twins looked at each other, jaws slack and shock written clearly on their faces. 

"Trigger, you take the children. I'll talk to the old man," the agent said, having stood up and now giving Trigger the screen. He looked back down at the twins. "Sorry to break it to ya, kids." He paused to put on his sunglasses. "But you don't know your uncle at all."

Trigger snapped his fingers and another agent came over and ushered the twins towards a car, another man taking the fruit pop from Mabel as they went. "Wait, Alane!" Mabel called out suddenly.

Alane felt herself go cold with fear as Trigger turned to look at her. "Agent Powers!" Trigger exclaimed in surprise as he raised up a gun, pointed directly at Alane. There was a red dot on her chest from it's laser.

The older agent stopped, looking at where Trigger was aiming his gun. He seemed momentarily confused before he, too, raised up his gun, another red dot joining the other. "Freeze!" He yelled at Alane.

More red dots showed up on Alane as she stood there, shaking from pure fright and the pressure of holding back her other self. "Alane..?" Mabel asked in confusion as the agent shoved her and Dipper into a car. Dipper was watching her, his expression unreadable.

Slowly, Agent Powers made his way towards Alane. The only noise was that of the helicopters, now a good distance away, and the rumbling of the two car engines. Plus Stan, banging on the glass of his car. Mabel just sat there behind the glass, hand pressed against the window, utterly confused.

"It's been almost twenty years, but we've finally caught you," Powers said, just a hint of joy edging his voice. Alane was too scared to move, for fear of being shot.

"Leave Alane alone!" Mabel yelled from the backseat of the car, seeming to snap out of her daze. Dipper seemed sad.

"Trigger, the handcuffs." Powers snapped his fingers, Agent Trigger coming up besides him with a pair of handcuffs. They were noticeably thicker than average cuffs, reinforced with leather and another layer of meta;.

Not bothering to be gentle, Powers turned Alane around as she shook in fear, cuffing her hands behind her back. "We'll deal with you after I have a talk with Pines," Powers said, shoving Alane towards Trigger. "Put her in with Pines, then proceed with the kids."

Trigger nodded, walking behind Alane as they headed towards Stan's car. He was still banging on the glass, yelling at the twins. "Quiet!" Trigger yelled at him as he opened the door on the opposite end, roughly shoving Alane inside.

"Kids, you've gotta believe me!" Stan yelled as soon as the door shut. "For once I'm actually innocent! Kids!" He continued to yell as the car began to pull out.


	16. Chapter Fourteen

Stan quieted down once he couldn't see the shack anymore. He slumped up against the seat, sighing heavily. Then he seemed to remember Alane was there and turned to look at her. "So, what'd you do?"

Alane was trembling from head to toe, her head still aching and arms feeling like they were beginning to bend the wrong way behind her back. "I-I..." Alane stammered, taking a deep breath. "H-hurt someone, by m-mistake, years a-ago."

"What'd you do? Kill them?" Stan asked with a humorless laugh.

She shook her head. "N-no. J-just hurt him." She paused. "Ford just... O-overreacted," Alane added.

Stan raised his eyebrows. "Ford?" He inquired.

Alane laughed shakily as they hit a bump in the road, bouncing a bit in her seat. "Y-yeah, Ford. You l-look a l-lot like him. E-even have t-the same n-name. K-kinda scared me, a-at first. But I know y-you're n-not him. You don't have..." She trailed off.

"I don't have what, kid?" Stan demanded, looking at her. Dozens of emotions flickered across his face.

"You d-don't have s-six f-fingers."

Stan slumped up against his seat, in utter shock. Alane would've been worried, but she was still trying desperately to calm herself down.

"When..?" Stan muttered after a moment.

"W-when what?"

"When did you see him?" Stan demanded, hand clenched in front of him.

"Years a-ago," she stammered.

"How long? How many years?"

"Y-you wouldn't b-believe m-me if I t-told you!" Alane said, voice rising a bit.

"Please, kid," Stan said, his eyes pleading. Alane's lip was trembling slightly. "Oh gosh, kid. Don't, uh... Don't start crying." She wasn't about to cry, but the strain of holding her "other side" back was almost too much for her to bare.

Alane shook her head stiffly, either telling Stan she wouldn't tell him how many years, or telling herself she wouldn't cry, she didn't know.

She had to regain her focus.

Wriggling in her seat, Alane got her legs up onto the bench. She then got her arms under her and around her legs so that they were in front of her again. They ached, but due to the cuffs she couldn't rub them. Instead, she just rubbed her face. Her head was still bothering her.

From beside her, Stan sighed. He leaned his head back against the seat. From out the front window, Alane could see the town approaching.

Taking a deep breath, Alane looked over at Stan. "I last saw Ford sometime in the late 70's. We met at college. He was a good friend of mine," Alane told him.

Dipper and Soos already knew. Why not tell Stan too? Besides, talking always helped her focus better.

"The 70's? College?" Stan asked, eyeing Alane. "You kidding with me?"

She shrugged, looking out her window. "Believe me or don't, Mr. Pines," she muttered. 

"I believe you, sorta, but... How _old_ are you?" Stan asked, looking at her from the corner of his eye.

Alane shrugged. "Older than you. Exact age doesn't really matter."

Once again, Alane was expecting shock. But instead, Stan just started laughing. "Ah, leave it to my brother to find someone weird like him," he said, wiping away a tear, which was made weird by the handcuffs. Then he suddenly stopped. "Wait. You said you _hurt_ him?" He asked, looking over at Alane.

She raised her hands defensively. "It wasn't bad, I swear. He only hit his head."

"If it wasn't bad, then how come you just got arrested?"

Alane tried to give Stan an innocent smile. It came out looking more like a grimace. She sighed. "You run a shop based around made up mythical creatures and the like. Now, imagine one of those creatures were discovered, and was deemed dangerous, whether it was true or not.

"A brand new, dangerous creature straight out of a fairy tale. What do you think the government would want to do with something like that? Let it run free, without even knowing how it does what it does?" She shook her head, looking out the window again. "Nope."

Stan furrowed his eyebrows as he pondered this. He seemed confused. "So what _would_ they do?" He finally asked.

She looked back at him, one eyebrow raised in a "seriously?" expression. "What do you think the government would do if an alien showed up and was captured by humans?"

"I dunno. Dissect it?" He asked. Alane gave him a tight smile, nodding her head. It finally seemed to dawn on him what she meant. "Oh..." he muttered.

They entered the town. Buildings flitted past outside the windows. Alane watched them go by sadly.

Stan sighed once again. "So I'm probably on my way to prison, and you're on your way to a dissection table?" He gave one loud, harsh laugh. "What a day this has turned out to be."

The car slowly pulled to a stop outside the police station. The agent that had been driving got out, coming to Alane's side of the car. He opened it as another car pulled in besides them, that one containing Agent Powers and more agents. Another helicopter flew over them.

The agent grabbed Alane by the handcuffs and pulled her out of the cab, Powers doing the same with Stan on the other side after he'd opened the door. They were then shoved unceremoniously towards the station and up the steps.

Inside the building, Stan and Alane had mugshots taken of them, as well as fingerprints. Once that had been taken care of, they were brought out into a hall with dozens of rooms branching off of them.

"Pst," Stan whispered as Powers spoke to the agent that'd been escorting Alane. "I can't stick around this joint all day, I've got something happening later," Stan said with a sly grin. "You gonna be ready if I yell for ya?"

Unsure of what Stan was planning but curious, Alane nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"Hey, no talking!" The agent said, walking away from Powers and grabbing Alane's cuffs. Powers came up behind Stan and shoved him towards one of the rooms. Alane was brought to the one across from him, the door shut right behind her.


	17. Chapter Fifteen

Soos drove around Yumberjacks, the local fast food place for Gravity Falls, heading down the drive through. He stopped by the lumberjack where you ordered your food, leaning out the window.

"Okay, gimme whatever you got that comes with a free toy," he said into the microphone.

He paused only for a second before the Walkie Talkie besides him started to emit static, Stan's voice screeching out a second later. "Soos!" He yelled. 

Soos, however, didn't realize it was the Walkie Talkie. Assuming it was the plastic lumberjack, he leaned further out of the window, putting his hands on it. "Mr Pines?" He asked it. "Is this some sort of... Possession situation?"

"Soos, pick up!" Stan yelled again.

It dawned on Soos that it was his Walkie Talkie making the noise, and quickly grabbed it. "Mr. Pines, what happened?" Soos asked frantically. "Heard you got arrested or something? I had to go get some panic food." He looked guiltily over at the fast food joint.

"Listen, I need something from you," Stan said. "You know that vending machine in the gift shop? I need you to guard it with your life. No matter what happens, no matter who talks to you, don't let them touch that machine!" Stan's voice suddenly cut off, and the Walkie Talkie began to blare static again.

Though confused, Soos narrowed his eyes in determination. "Time for a repair guy," Soos muttered, tilting his hat forward a bit, "to become a repair man."

From the takeout window besides him, a man pushed a colorful cardboard box through his open window. "Sir, your Jr. Yum Yum Babytime Kiddo Meal?" The man handing him his food asked.

"Just put one in my mouth," Soos told him, hands gripping the wheel, ready to take off.

The man hesitated a second before opening the bag and giving Soos one of the fries.

"Let's do this," Soos said, slamming his foot down on the pedal and driving off at full speed, bursting through the bushes that lined the parking lot.

 

Dipper and Mabel sat in the back of Trigger's car. They weren't handcuffed, but were too scared to move or try to escape. Up front in the drivers seat, Agent Trigger was listening to Agent Powers on a video screen.

"We've got Mr. Pines and the girl in custody. Our men are searching the shack for that device. You take care of those kids," Powers was saying before the screen shut off, going black as it powered down.

Mabel gasped. "What are you doing to do to us?" She asked Trigger.

"We'll be taking you to child services," Trigger replied. Mabel booed from the backseat as Dipper frowned. "In the meantime, enjoy some mindless reality TV, designed to pacify you and make you stop asking questions." Glancing away from the road for only a moment, Trigger pressed some buttons on the console, causing another screen to turn on and begin playing a show called "Ker-Pranked".

"Dipper, this is crazy," Mabel said, looking at her brother. "There's no way Stan was stealing hazardous waste, and I'm sure Alane hasn't done anything wrong. We've gotta clear their names."

Dipper narrowed his eyes at Mabel for a second before he began to look around the cab. "Hmm," he muttered, then spotted a camera pointed at them. The screen Powers had been speaking on was now showing them as they were recorded. 

Suddenly, Dipper had a realization. "Wait a minute, the security tapes! Didn't Stan say he was restocking the gift shop last night?" Dipper asked Mabel. "If we can get the Mystery Shack's surveillance tapes, we can prove he's innocent!" He knew that only solved Stan's problem, but he didn't feel too keen on helping Alane at that moment.

Mabel considered this, rubbing her chin. "We just need to think of a way outta here," she said, turning towards her door. "Think, Mabel, think..."

Ahead of them was a large eighteen wheeler carrying lumber. It was going in the same direction, but was slow. Trigger sped up a bit, going to the side of the truck as he prepared to pass it. As it drew nearer to them, Mabel spotted a bumper sticker for the popular boy band "Sev'ral Timez" on the back of it. She suddenly had an idea.

She fogged up the glass of her window as Dipper watched her, then knocked on it. The truck driver glanced over at her, and she began to write the words "Sevral Timez is overrated" on the fogged glass before pointing at it.

The truck driver gasped, yelling something in his car before he swerved. Trigger laid on the horn, but it was too late. The back of the man's eighteen wheeler hit them, causing the smaller car to swerve off the road and down a hill.

Mabel and Dipper bounced around on the backseat as Trigger tried to regain control of the car and dodge trees at the same time. "Mayday, mayday!" Trigger yelled. The twins assumed he was speaking into a headpiece or something. "Agent down!"

A second later, the car crashed into a tree at the base of the hill. The tree's branches were pressed up against Trigger's side of the car, trapping him inside. He was muttering angrily as he tried to work the door open.

Mabel saw their chance and opened the backseat door, which was thankfully unblocked. She laughed happily. "Yes!" She exclaimed before jumping out. Dipper followed her a second later.

"Back up! Requesting back up!" Trigger yelled. Dipper walked over to him and took the earpiece Trigger was wearing, causing the man to cry out as it emitted loud static in his ear for a split second. Dipper then crushed it on the ground while Mabel looked at him angrily.

"C'mon, Dipper. We're gonna go clear our uncle's name." Mabel then turned and began heading back up to the road. 

Dipper had begun to follow, but paused as Trigger sighed behind him. Mabel kept going, ignoring him. "Oh, you poor kids," he was saying. "You really think your uncle's innocent? And that girl, you think she is too? I've seen it all before. False names, double lives. One minute they're playing with water balloons, the next they're building doomsday devices! Your uncle scammed the whole world, and that girl is nothing but a beast. Are you really going to let them fool you too?"

"You..." Dipper began, looking back at Trigger. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"You're gonna regret this!" Trigger yelled angrily as Dipper followed his sister, leaving Trigger behind. He was drowned out as the car alarm started and the airbag went off.


	18. Chapter Sixteen

Alane sat with her hands cuffed to a metal table in front of her. There was an armed guard behind her and two by the door. None of them seemed to understand why a kid needed to be so heavily guarded and were chatting with each other from across the room.

Meanwhile, Alane was trying to contact Bill. The dream demon just wouldn't respond though, and she was feeling herself begin to panic again.

She was concentrating incredibly hard, eyes closed and face scrunched up, not even breathing. She opened them after a minute, gasping for breath, knowing it was no use. 

Having given up on Bill, Alane began to look for other means of escaping. As she looked around the room, Alane noticed something odd. It was like everything were floating a little ways off the ground. As soon as she noticed it though, gravity seemed to return. The agents dropped back to the ground, confused but quickly dismissing it, and her seat clattered back to the floor. Luckily, it didn't fall over.

 _Gravity seems to be fluctuating for some reason,_ Alane thought to herself. _Perhaps something is causing it? Whatever is happening, if it happens again, I might be able to get out of here, assuming it gets stronger._

Her thoughts were cut off as Powers walked into the room. the agents quickly stopped their chatter and stood up straighter as he walked over. He slammed his hands on the table and looked at Alane through narrowed eyes.

"Agent Trigger and I have been on your case since we joined the FBI," Powers told her. "It was that case no one else wanted, the 'unsolvable case'. Our colleagues thought that the man who'd originally submitted the report was just insane or something. No one thought you were actually real.

"We took it anyway," he continued. "That alone earned Trigger and I respect. But when we bring you in? I can't even begin to imagine what that will earn us."

Powers paced around her. Alane tried hard not to tremble, rather to remain perfectly still and project an image of complete calm. "So what are you, anyway?" He asked as he came back in front of her. "I'm actually a bit curious. The man who reported you originally said you were a demon. But you just look human to me."

Alane looked up, meeting his eye. "I'm sorry," she said with an obviously fake smile. "But I don't speak idiot. I'll need a translator to understand you." _Gosh, I've been spending too much time with Mabel._

Powers' face twitched for a second before he regained himself, standing up straighter and glaring at her past his nose. "Don't take your eyes off of her," Powers ordered the agents as he walked towards the door. He left the room without another word.

 

Meanwhile, Dipper and Mabel arrived back at the shack. They'd hitched a ride in the back of one of the government agents' cars, and had ridden all the way back. Having used Mabel's grappling hook to get past everyone, they were now inside and heading towards Stan's room.

They ran down the hallway, going fast but trying to stay quiet all the same. Upon reaching Stan's door, they paused to make sure they were alone. Then slowly, Dipper pushed it open. After Mabel had gone in, he followed, locking all three locks behind them.

Grinning at their achievement, the two twins fist-bumped.

"Alright," Dipper said, serious again as he rubbed his hands together. "If I was Stan, where would I hide those surveillance tapes?"

With that said, the two began to look around the room. Dipper checked the bookshelf, which held an odd assortment of books, and found nothing. Same with the filing cabinet. 

Mabel, who'd just been scanning the room, suddenly gasped, pointing at the stuffed head of a jackalope on the wall. "Wait!" She said, noticing a hinge on one horn. "The antelabbit!"

"Don't you mean jackalope?" Dipper asked as he slid his backpack onto the floor.

Mabel huffed, flicking one wrist passively at Dipper as she rolled her eyes. "That can't be right." Mabel then walked over to the wall where the head was hung, jumping up to pull the horn. It bent easily, like a lever. A second later, once Mabel was standing back by Dipper, the entire section of the wall, stretching from floor to ceiling, flipped around to reveal the security monitor and tapes from previous days.

"Yes!" Both twins exclaimed happily when they saw it.

There was a tape already in the player, and Mabel read what was written on it's side. "It's this week! This is it!" She told Dipper before pushing the tape in.

Dipper picked up a remote and, after pressing the "play" button, the screen turned on and the tape began to roll.

When it turned on, loud music was playing in the gift shop. Wendy, Soos and Mabel, who was on the counter, were present. The girls were chanting "Go, go, go" at Soos, who was doing the worm on the floor.

Dipper looked at Mabel with a raised eyebrow.

"Someone yelled 'Wormy Dance'. We had to!" Mabel said in her defense, shrugging before turning back to the screen. "Fast forward."

Dipper fast forwarded two hours, to 6:45 in the afternoon. The screen now showed Stan restocking the shop. Dipper laughed happily, poking the screen. "There it is! Stan restocking like he said. And the date shows it was last night! It's proof! He's innocent!"

But as the twins watched, the Stan on the tape came out from behind the counter and walking towards the door. He looked around the gift shop before leaving.

Dipper fast forwarded multiple times, going all the way to 8:00 that night. Stan wasn't back. "Uh-oh..." He muttered.

"Uh, maybe he's just going to the bathroom outdoors? The way nature intended," Mabel offered with a grin.

Dipper was frowning as he fast forwarded to 5:00 that morning. Someone was just walking into the shop, dressed in a hazmat suit and bringing with him a barrel of hazardous waste. The twins gasped.

"Oh no, Stan, you didn't," Dipper murmured.

"Don't panic," Mabel said, holding up her hands. "That could be anyone in that suit."

As she said this, the man on screen dropped a barrel on his foot by mistake. "Gah! Hot Belgian waffles!" Yelled the man in Stan's voice, hopping on one foot as he grabbed the other. "Wait, I'm alone," he said, looking around the shop. "I can swear for real!" He took a deep breath, putting his foot back down. "Son of a-" The twins turned it off. Mabel was covering her ears.

"That's him alright," Dipper confirmed, looking at his sister.

"Okay, okay," Mabel said, walking away from Dipper as she lowered her hands. "So maybe Grunkle Stan stole some toxic waste? That doesn't mean he's leading a nefarious double life!"

As Mabel spoke, Dipper pulled open a box besides him. After peeking in at it's contents, he looked at his sister fearfully. "Mabel, I'm not so sure about that."

They moved the box to Stan's desk, where they turned on a lamp and began going through everything.

"What?" Mabel asked as she looked at what she'd grabbed. "What is all this?" In her hands she held a passport. Flipping it open, she read the name. "Stetson Pinefield?" She said in confusion.

Dipper held a similar passport. "Hal Forrester?" He asked as he read it, then looked at another. "Andrew '8-Ball' Alcatraz? These are fake IDs, Mabel. You wouldn't need these unless you were trying to hide your real identity."

"But why would Stan do that?" Mabel asked, trying to cling to hope as she further opened the box. She pulled out a newspaper clipping, looking at it for a second before she went ridged. Dipper took it from her, making sure to be gentle, before reading the headline. 

"What?" He exclaimed. "'Stan Pines dead?'"

"'Foul play suspected in Pines' death.' 'Fiery car crash.' 'brakes cut?' by who?" Mabel read, having taken the paper back from Dipper as her brother riffled through the box again.

At the bottom of the box, Dipper found another clipping. "'Unnamed grifter at large,'" he read. "Why would they call him unnamed? Unless Stan..." He looked at Mabel, horror etched into his face.

"... Isn't..." Mabel continued.

"Stan," they both said, looking up at the portrait of Stan that hung on the wall behind them. His eyes bared down at them menacingly.


	19. Chapter Seventeen

"Stan Pines is dead? Who have we been living with?" Dipper said to himself as he paced the room. Since discovering the box of IDs and news clippings, Mabel had spread the contents on the floor and was now scanning over them. Dipper was doing nothing but pacing, all thoughts of Bill, Alane and Gravity Falls weirdness having been pushed from his mind for the time being. "It doesn't make any sense!"

"There has to be some explanation," Mabel said, shaking her head sadly, but refusing to give up on Stan just yet. She perked up, grinning as she had an idea. "Maybe we're getting Ker-Pranked? Justin Kerprank is gonna jump up from behind one of these plants any minute now." She shuffled over to the nearest plant on her knees. "Any minute, Justin." She peeked into the pot.

"I can't believe it," Dipper said, hand on his head, utterly lost. "This whole summer I've been looking for answers, and the biggest mystery was right under our nose!"

"Ugh, there's gotta be some kinda explanation in here somewhere!" Mabel said, having abandoned the plant and returned to the box. She shook out the scrap paper on the bottom, digging through what fell out. She paused, lifting a piece of paper up. "What the? 'Secret code to hideout'?" She read.

"Lemme see that," Dipper said, coming over with his backpack. He pulled his journal from his vest and the black light from one of the bag's inner pockets, looking at the paper before flipping to one of the journal's pages. "A1, B, C3... I've never seen a code like this," he muttered as he scanned the page.

Something suddenly dawned on Mabel. "Wait, I have!" She said, looking at her brother. "Dipper, it's the vending machine!"

 

Stan was looking at his watch as it counted down the seconds to when the portal would activate. Time was running out, and he was still trapped at the police department. He had to get out soon or he'd miss it.

As he looked at the watch, the door to the room opened and in stepped Agent Powers and two other agents he didn't know. "Alright, Pines. Playtime is over. Chopper's ready to dust off to Washington." Powers put his hands on the table, leaning close to Stan. "I'll enjoy putting you away."

"What?" Stan asked, looking past Powers and at the door. "Can we stick around for maybe one minute? Ah..." He glanced down at his watch. "One minute, thirty seconds?"

"We're not falling for your games, Pines. You've been running your whole life. Your time is finally up." Powers had walked around him and was now beginning to undo the cuffs that held him to his chair.

Stan glanced at the door, then the clock. "Bathroom break?" He asked. "Just gimme fifteen seconds." 

"Sorry," Powers said, frowning at Stan. "But you've got a flight to catch."

A second after he said this, Stan's watch began to beep. He narrowed his eyes, grinning. "Oh yeah?" He asked, looking back at Powers. "So do you."

"Huh?" The man exclaimed as suddenly, everything in the room began to float. The agents didn't know what to do when gravity didn't seem to exist. All the while, Stan was grinning.

When his chair had floated about a foot off the ground, Stan put his plan into action. He kicked the table at the two agents, sending them spiraling through the air with shocked gasps upon impact. Then his chair began to do flips in the air. He rode it out, trying not to get sick until he finally hit Agent Powers.

He knocked the man against the wall, causing the key to his cuffs to fly out of the man's hands. Stan saw this, and as Powers drifted to the floor, Stan smashed his chair against the wall, causing it to shatter before he pushed off against it and headed towards the keys.

Flipping around in the air, Stan grabbed the keys and unlocked his cuffs. Pushing off the ceiling, he propelled himself towards the door as the cuffs drifted past Powers.

"Hey!" Powers exclaimed, pushing himself off the wall and drifting towards Stan. "Dang it, get back here! Men, get him!"

Stan ignored Powers though, kicking one of the still flailing agents in the chest and grabbing the man's wallet as it floated up in front of him. He then sent the man flying back towards Powers as he jumped from him to the next agent, then from him to the door.

"No!" Powers yelled, shaking his fist as he floated towards the door in a tangled up mess with the other agents. "You won't get away with this!"

In response, Stan closed the door, grinning as Powers' face slammed against it. A second later, gravity returned and everything dropped back to the ground. Stan gave a triumphant laugh before locking the door to the room. That'd buy him another minute before they found the room's keys.

Stan began to run down the hall, but skidded to a stop a moment later. "Forgot about the kid," he sighed, turning around...

 

...Just as the door to Alane's room flew off it's hinges and slammed against the opposite wall. Dust billowed around as Alane stepped out into the hall, glancing around warily.

"Whoa, kid," Stan said, eyes wide and impressed. "That was cool."

Alane grinned sheepishly.

"How'd you get past the guards? You use the anti gravity too?"

Alane kept herself from turning around to look back at the room. All the guards were pressed up against the back wall, unable to move due to the metal table Alane had wrapped around them. At their feet, she knew their guns lay mangled and useless next to their earpieces.

She just widened her smile and shrugged at Stan. "They left me unguarded and I threw the table at the door. The hinges sure were weak." In truth, she'd punched the heavy door off it's hinges.

Stan chuckled. "Alright then. C'mon, we need to get out of here."

She and Stan then took off, leaving through the front seconds before Powers got the door open. Outside, a taxi was parked nearby. The two of them ran over.

Stan, breathless, leaned up by the open passenger window. "You know where the Mystery Shack is?" He asked, panting.

"Uh, yeah," the taxi driver replied after thinking for a second.

"Okay." Stan reached into his jacket pocket and took some cash from the agent's wallet. "Here's a hundred bucks. Drive as far away from the shack as possible, and don't stop when the cops start chasing you!"

The taxi driver looked at Stan suspiciously before shrugging. He then slammed down on the gas and took off, smoke billowing from his tires.

Stan then ran over to a car that had flipped during the short period of anti gravity and ducked down behind it, Alane following suit a moment later.

Powers and the agents burst from the police station and spotted the taxi. "He's getting away!" Agent Powers yelled as they ran toward their cars. "Obviously, follow that cab!"

 

Back at the shack, Trigger pulled up in a new car. "Stanford and Alane escaped. They're at large, we need to sweep the town! Move, move!" He yelled at the dozen or so agents that still stood guard around the shack.

The men took off in the two helicopters and the remaining cars parked outside. Within a few minutes, it was like they'd never been there.

As the agents left, Soos crept up outside one of the shop's windows. He peeked in and, seeing the coast was clear, opened the window and crawled inside. He then tiptoed towards the vending machine, where he stationed himself to guard.

"Alright, Soos. Remember the plan," Soos said to himself, eyes narrowed as he scanned the shop warily. "Protect the machine. Earn Stan's trust. Legally get adopted by Stan. Change name to Stan Jr." He paused a second, closing his eyes as he pictured how this would play out.

"Soos?" Dipper asked, causing Soos to yell in surprise. The twins had just come out of Stan's office, only to find Soos standing in front of the machine they needed to get to.

"Oh, kids! Where have you been?" Soos asked in relief, breathing heavily as he calmed down. 

"Wh... What are you doing here?" Dipper asked Soos in return.

"Stan gave me a mission to protect this machine," Soos told them, gesturing over his shoulder at the always-out-of-order vending machine. He chuckled. "And I thought I loved snacks."

"Soos, listen. Something huge is going on here. If Stan is hiding some dangerous secret, we need to find out what it is," Dipper said, filled with determination to get past the repairman. Mabel stood behind him, looking uncertain.

"I need you to step aside," Dipper told Soos as he pulled the paper with the password out of his pocket.

"Yeah, just let us through so we can prove this is all just a big misunderstanding," Mabel said with a friendly smile.

Soos rubbed his neck, looking down sadly at the twins. "Guys, I know this seems crazy, but I promised Stan I would guard this with my life."

Dipper and Mabel shared a quick looked before Mabel began walking towards Soos. "I'm sorry, Soos," she told him as she lifted up her clenched fist. As she opened it, she blew a handful of glitter into Soos' face.

Soos yelled in shock as his eyes were suddenly full of glitter. "Attack glitter! It's pretty but it hurts!" He yelled, rubbing his face.

The twins then ran at Soos, trying to catch him off balance while he was distracted.

"Aw, come on, I don't wanna fight you guys," Soos said sadly as he held the twins back with ease, glitter out of his eyes and now focused solely on guarding the machine again.

The twins began to climb on Soos. "This hurts me more than it hurts you," he said as Mabel began giving his stomach an Indian burn, her foot kicking him in the face. "Seriously, this hurts me _way_ more than it hurts you."

While Soos was distracted with Mabel, Dipper managed to wiggle out of Soos' grip and get closer to the machine. Stretching as far as he could, he leaned forward and entered the code.

The second it was punched in, the vending machine opened, a cloud of smoke billowing out from behind it as the three rolled across the floor uttering sounds of surprise. 

Coughing from where they now were on the floor, the three of them fanned the smoke away from their faces until the room had cleared. Then they gasped.

Behind the vending machine was a hidden space, lit by a lantern with stairs leading somewhere below the shack.

Curiosity overcoming his need to follow orders, Soos followed the twins into the space, picking up the lantern that hung from the wall before descending down the steps.

"It's like something from a video game," Soos murmured as he looked around.

"Or a dream," Mabel said in awe, close behind him.

"Or a nightmare," Dipper added, bringing up the rear.

The three of them entered an elevator at the end of the stairs before heading further down below.

 

Meanwhile, Stan and Alane were running back towards the shack. Stan was panting heavily, where as Alane was running with ease.

"I've gotta be there when it happens!" Stan said to himself breathlessly as he tore his shirt on a branch from a nearby bush. He didn't so much as slow down.

"When what happens?" Alane asked.

Stan didn't reply, he just kept running.


	20. Chapter Eighteen

The elevator opened up into some sort of lab. The room was illuminated only by Soos' lantern, making it hard to tell what the place's purpose was. But at the end of the room, coming through a surveillance window was a bright light that was being emitted from some sort of machine.

The three of them gasped in wonder as the stepped out of the elevator, the doors closing behind them.

"Guys, are we dreaming?" Mabel asked, not quite believing her eyes. "Somebody wake me up."

"This... Can't be real," murmured Dipper, following his sister as they began to walk around the room.

"I don't understand," Soos said from where he still stood before he set the lantern down and began to follow them. "Why would Mr. Pines have all this?"

"It's just like that bunker in the woods," Dipper realized as he looked around. Earlier that summer, they'd found a mysterious bunker in the middle of the woods, full of equipment just like the stuff in this lab.

"But what is it doing underneath the Mystery Shack?" Soos asked.

"Okay, okay. So he's got a huge, gigantic lab. That doesn't mean anything bad! Everyone's got secrets!" Mabel said, gesturing around them before she picked up a framed photo of her and Dipper from a desk and showed it to the others. "It's still Stan, and he loves us. And we love him... Right?"

Dipper wasn't looking at the picture, rather a point past Mabel. "Can't be... It's impossible," Dipper said in shock at what laid before him. On the desk were two journals- the two journals he'd been searching for all summer. "The other two journals? All this time, all this time Stan had them?

"I can't believe it!" Dipper said angrily as he walked away. "Was anything he said to us real? Why would he have those journals?!" He kicked at a machine besides him.

"Maybe _he's_ the author?" Soos offered Dipper as a reply.

"Or maybe he _stole_ them from the author!" Dipper countered. "Maybe the reason he has all those fake IDs is because he _is_ a master criminal, and this machine is his master plan!"

The others were silent as Dipper opened the journals, flipping them to where they were marked and setting them up in order. Once laid out, the three books formed a sort of blueprint. Dipper turned on the black light and looked at them. 

"Whoa," Mabel muttered as the other two gasped.

Lit by the black light, new words appeared on the page. "'I was wrong the whole time,'" Dipper read. "'The machine was meant to create knowledge but it is too powerful! I was deceived and now it is too late. The device, if fully operational could tear our universe apart!'" Drawn below this on the bottom book was an image of the world being broken, with the caption "total global destruction".

"'It must not fall into the wrong hands,'" Dipper continued to read. "'If the clock ever reaches zero, our universe is doomed!'"

It was then that the three realized that the room was being filled with a rhythmic beep from the clock above them. It was counting down.

Taking a step back and nearly falling, Soos pointed at the clock in horror. "It's the final count down, just like they always sung about!"

Dipper flipped through the third journal until he found a page with "manual override fail safe" written in bold at the top. "The agents were right," Dipper said fearfully. "We have to shut it down!"

The three of them ran into the next room, but stopped dead a second later as they looked at the large machine. The entire room was shaking as it emitted lights of all colors. It was mesmerizing to look at.

Dipper managed to tear his eyes from the machine in order to look around the room. He spotted three keys in the corner and a sign that said "manual override" above it. "There, quick!" Dipper said, shocking the other two out of it.

Once at the machine, the three of them each picked a key. "Turn these! Together!" Dipper ordered. They did as he said.

From the center of the room, there was a loud _"BEEP!"_ as the top of a lever flipped open, revealing a button.

"That's it! The shutdown switch!" Dipper said. The three of them ran back across the room.

They gathered around the lever as the button on it flashed red, none of them willing to be the one to press it.

Dipper took a deep breath. "This all stops now!" He yelled, bringing his hand down towards the button.

He stopped just a second before pressing it as he heard a noise from back in the lab.

"Don't touch that button!" Stan yelled, bursting from the door.

 

Alane came up behind Stan, eyes being attracted instantly to the lights. Her head throbbed even more than before. She winced, clutching the side of her head.

Stan was panting, having not stopped running the entire way. It was like he was in a stare-off with the three that were crowded around the lever in the center of the room.

"Dipper, just back away," Stan begged his nephew, taking a few steps forward. Dipper didn't move, his hand still just above the button. "Please don't press that shutdown button, ya gotta trust me."

"And I should trust you why?" Dipper said, his anger boiling over as he turned to look his uncle in the eyes. He dropped his hand to his side. "After you stole radioactive waste? After you lied to us all summer? I don't even know who you are!"

"Look, I know this all seems nuts, but I need that machine to stay on! If you just let me explain..." Stan cut himself off as he looked at his watch, which had begun to beep again. "Oh no..." He looked back at the others. "Oh no. Brace yourselves!"

The lights on the machine began to go crazy, swirling around in a circle around the hole at it's center. Lightning seemed to fly from it as everything started to float.

"Guys..?" Alane muttered, holding onto the doorway by the lab to keep herself grounded. She let out a cry of pain as her headache bloomed. She let go of the door, clutching her head with both hands. _That machine is doing something to my head!_

The four others were floating up towards the ceiling, all screaming in shock and fear. Alane could feel the tremors in the air and see the ground vibrating below her.

"T-minus 35 seconds," a voice rang out across the room as the clock continued to count down.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Stan exclaimed as he spun towards one of the walls. Dipper yelled as he slammed into a wooden post nearby. Soos still floated about the room, flailing around aimlessly.

"Dipper!" Mable yelled, causing him to turn around to look at her. Her foot was caught on a cord that was stretched across the room. She was right by the lever.

"Mabel, hurry! Shut it down!" Dipper yelled at her.

Obeying her brother, Mabel began to pull herself closer to the lever, using the extension cord as a rope.

"No!" Stan said, launching himself from the wall. He tried to swim through the air towards Mabel. "Mabel, Mabel! Wait! Stop!" He called out. Then Soos rammed into his side, sending him flying towards another wall. "Soos, what are you doing? I gave you an order!" He yelled angrily.

"Sorry Mr. Pines, if that is your real name, but I have a new mission now! Protecting these kids!"

"Soos, you idiot, let me go!" Stan yelled at Soos.

Dipper launched himself at Stan, too, sending the three of them floating in the other direction. He turned back to his sister. "Mabel, press the red button! Shut it down!"

Stan pushed Dipper away, looking over at Mabel frantically. "No, you can't! You gotta trust me!"

"Grunkle Stan, I don't even know if you're my grunkle," Mabel said. Tears floated up from her eyes as she held onto the lever. "I wanna believe you, but..."

"Then listen to me," Stan told her. "Remember this morning when I said I wanted to tell you guys something?"

"T-minus 20 seconds," the voice rang out again. The portal grew brighter and they all screamed.

Alane screamed loudest, feeling like her head was being torn apart as she flew back into the lab and hit one of the machines. The others hit the wall across from the machine, Stan hitting it so hard he bent up a large pipe that ran across it.

Mabel prepared to press the button, then stopped as Stan spoke up again.

"I wanted to say that you're gonna hear some bad things about me, and some of them are true. But trust me. Everything I've worked for, everything I care about, it's all for this family," he said.

"Mabel, what if he's lying?" Dipper yelled at his sister. "This thing can destroy the universe! Listen to your head!"

"Look into my eyes, Mabel!" Stan begged. "Do you really think I'm a bad guy?"

"He's lying! Shut it down, now!"

"Mabel, please!"

Mabel was lowering her hand towards the button once again when she stopped, looking up at Stan. "Grunkle Stan," she said as the voice counted down the last seconds. "I trust you."

Mabel let go of the lever and floated up into the air.

"Mabel, are you crazy? We're all gonna-!"

"Two, one," the voice said.

The portal began glowing even brighter. Blue beams of light lit up the entire lab, landing on each of the people present. Alane screeched in pain as the others screamed in mere shock and fright.

The entire world shook beneath them. Rocks broke off from the ceiling but didn't fall far before they began floating. The picture of Mabel and Dipper drifted by, the glass shattering. The journals floated around too in the blinding light.

Then...

It stopped.

The portal shut down and the ruin fell to the ground. Rocks shattered bits of equipment and the earth shuddered as larger things above ground returned to earth as well.

Stan face-planted on the ground, Soos landing next to him in a similar fashion while Dipper rubbed his head, still angry about the whole ordeal. Alane's headache seemed to vanish, leaving nothing but a dull throb all at once. She quickly looked herself over, shocked to realize she'd grown pale and her hair had turned back.

After a few deep breaths, she returned to her normal self, though she was still shaken. On unstable feet, she made her way out into the room with the portal.

The once magnificent machine lay in ruins. Everything had fallen apart, and bits of it were still falling from the ceiling. Only the main part of it was still mostly intact, still emitting blue light from it's center, though much duller now.

As Alane and the others watched, a figure began to emerge from the light.

He stepped out into the room, the light from the portal behind him all but vanishing. He had on an all black and rather beat up outfit, complete with a mask that covered his entire face. 

The man made his way away from the portal, stopping for a moment when he came upon a journal. He bent down, lining up his six fingers to those of the hand's on the cover, then put the book in his coat pocket.

"W-What?" Dipper stammered as Stan sat up besides him. "Who is that?"

Stan was looking at the man, eyes wide. Dozens of emotions flickered across his face. "The author of the journals," Stan said as the man took off his mask, reveling a face similar to Stan's. "My brother."

"Is this the part where one of us faints?" Mabel asked. She had brushed off quickly and now stood besides Dipper and Soos.

Soos laughed. "I'm so on it, dude," he told them before falling over, out cold.


	21. Chapter Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh, hey, look, a chapter that's actually long.

"Finally, after all these longs years of waiting, you're actually here!" Stan said, walking forward, ready to embrace his long-lost sibling. "Brother!"

Alane saw the punch coming and popped up between Stan and his brother, catching the punch before it could make contact with Stan's face. "Is that really any way to greet the guy who just rescued you?" She assumed Stan had just rescued him, at least. He had a gun and looked a little beat up, plus Stan said "long years," so, yeah.

"What the heck?" Stan asked, looking past Alane and at his brother. "You just got back, and you were going to punch me?"

Ford pried his fist from Alane's grip, not yet looking at her. Instead, he was glaring solely at Stan. "This was an insanely risky move, restarting the portal! Didn't you read my warnings?" He yelled as Alane took a step away from the brothers.

"Warnings, shmornings," Stan said, waving a hand dismissively. "How's about maybe a 'thanks' for saving you from what appears to be, I dunno, some kinda scify-sideburn dimension?"

"Thank you? You really think I'm gonna thank you after what you did thirty years ago?!" He yelled.

"What I did? Why you ungrateful-" Stan threw a punch, which his brother dodged easily.

Alane stepped back in between them as his brother tried to pin one of Stan's arms behind his back. "Hey," she growled, looking at either of them. Stan's brother's eyes widened upon seeing her face. "Now's not the time to be fighting. You two can either say you're sorry and hug it out, or I'll chain you two together until you do."

"You don't need to stop our fights, kid," Stan mumbled, straightening his fez. "Just sibling rivalry."

She looked at Stan pointedly. "Really think it's a good time for that, though? Have you forgotten what's going on?"

"Oh, right," Stan said with a chuckle.

"Hey, hi, Mabel here," Mabel said, tugging on the bottom of Stan's brother's coat. "Quick question. What the heck is going on here?"

Tearing his eyes away from Alane, he looked down at Mabel. "Stan, you didn't tell me there were children down here." He caught sight of Soos, who was back on his feet after fainting. "And some sort of large, hairless gopher?"

Soos laughed. "I get that a lot."

"They're your family, Poindexter. Shermie's grand kids. Aside from Alane, that is," Stan said, motioning to Dipper and Mabel.

"I have a niece and nephew?" He asked, a small smile breaking out on his face. He bent down on one knee, holding out his hand to shake Mabel's. "Greetings. Do kids still say greetings? I haven't been in this dimension for a _really_ long time."

Mabel was a bit distracted. "Whoa, a six fingered handshake. It's a full finger friendlier than normal!"

He chuckled. "I like this kid. She's weird."

A few steps away from them, Dipper was freaking out. "I-I can't believe it... You're the author of the journals!"

"You've read my journals?" He asked, taking the one he'd picked up out of his pocket.

"I-I haven't just read them, I've lived them! I've been waiting for so long to meet you. I dunno what to say, I have so many questions, I..." Dipper began breathing heavily and groaning, clutching his head then his stomach. "I think I'm gonna throw up." He groaned as Mabel, who'd come up besides him, patted his back. "No, no, false alarm." Another groan. "Just gotta ride it out."

"Listen, there will be time for introductions later. And, frankly, I've got some questions for you, Alane. But first, tell me Stan, are there any security breaches? Does anyone else know about this portal?" Stan's brother asked, poking Stan in the chest.

"No, just us," Stan replied with a dismissive wave. He avoided his brother's eyes as he added, "also maybe the entire US government."

"The _what?_ " He asked before walking to the surveillance window. Looking through, he saw a TV screen playing live footage from above ground. On it was Agent Powers and dozens of other agents.

He sighed. "Okay, it's alright. We've got awhile before they find this room. We just need to lay low and think of a plan." He got out his journal and began to write in it absentmindedly.

"Well looks like we're stuck down here for awhile," Mabel said, looking at everyone. "Who wants to tell us their entire mysterious backstory?"

"Yes, I have some questions about all this myself, Stanley," Stan's brother said.

"Stanley?" Dipper asked, looking at Stan.

"But, your name is Stanford..?" Mabel said, equally confused.

"Wait, you took my name? What have you been doing all these years, you knucklehead?" Ford asked, shutting the book and looking back at Stan, who seemed a little panicked.

"Yeah, Grunkle Stan, no more lies. You owe us some answers," Dipper said. "What's the deal with this portal? Why'd you keep this a secret?"

"And what happened between you and your brother?" Mabel added.

"I'm hoping this all a-lines exactly with my fanfic, Stan. If not, I will be very disappointed." Soos crossed his arms, looking at Stan from where he stood by the others.

"Okay, okay, okay. I know I have a lot of explaining to do. It all started... A lifetime ago," Stan began.

Alane tuned them out as she walked away from the group, sitting a little ways off with her back against the wall. Her breathing was ragged and she held herself tightly as she tried to remain calm.

 _Ford is here. Ford is back from wherever he'd gone. He is back and in the same room as me. Should I leave? Take my chances with the agents?_ Alane wondered as she brushed a loose piece of hair out of her face. A few strands in it were still black. It caused her panic to return.

_No, no. I need to focus on staying calm right now, she thought with a determined huff. Ford's here, but it's the same as before. He wouldn't dare try to resume tests at a time like this, and with his family present. I'm safe for now._

_As soon as the coast is clear, I'll leave. I don't care if Bill wants me to hang around here, I'm getting as far away as possible._

"Oh, is that so?" Bill's voice suddenly rang out in her head, causing her panic to flare once again. Alane quickly closed her eyes, leaving but a slit so that she could see if anyone was coming over. She couldn't risk them seeing her pupils.

"What do you want?" She whispered, trying to move her mouth as little as possible.

"You were trying to contact me earlier," Bill replied. "Ran a little late picking up. I hope you didn't cause too much chaos without me?"

"Ford's back," Alane murmured, a tremor in her voice. "He's back and I'm trapped in here with him."

"Oh? Is that so?" Bill asked, surprise clear in his voice. "You want me to go mess with him?"

Alane gave a stiff shake of her head. "No, not right now. He's talking with his family. If you possess him, Dipper and Soos will know I put you up to it."

"Kid, if I do it, it'd be because I wanted to, not because you ordered me to." Alane could almost hear him roll his eye. "Anyway, what's this about leaving? I thought I told you to stay put."

"You did, but... I can't stay here. Dipper's already told me to leave once, and now with Ford here... I need to find somewhere else."

"There _is_ nowhere else, kid. Why do you think I told you to stay here? This isn't the only group of agents out here anymore. They're everywhere now, checking all the roads leading in and out of the state for ya."

Alane began to tremble. "Oh, calm down kid. Things will be alright. If nothing else, I'll get you a room at the inn. Mess with the manager's memories, make him think you already paid in advance," Bill soothed. "You just gotta stay in town."

"But what about Mabel? She wouldn't understand that I'm leaving their house to stay at the inn. She's been so sweet, and it'd make her feel like a bad host. At least if I left entirely, I could say my 'dad' is back and I'm going home."

"Do the brat's feelings really matter when the other option is sleeping under the same roof as Ford?"

Alane opened her eyes a bit more, watching the group across the room. Mabel was sitting on the floor next to Dipper as Stan told them about a broken science fair project. Her face was alight with what could only be described as wonder.

"Yes, actually. They do matter," Alane whispered as she narrowed her eyes once more.

Bill sighed. "I don't see what the difference is, honestly. Either way, when you leave you'll upset the kid. Does it really matter how far you're going? Just stay here or go to the inn, easy as that.

"Now, I have some important, ah, business, that needs to be taken care of. Do me a favor and keep an eye on Sixer, will ya? It'd be helpful, since I don't have one to spare."

"Keep an eye on Ford? Why?"

"That project of mine? It's right up Sixer's alley of expertise, so he'd know everything about it from a glance. _But,_ since his family hates me, he'd most likely try to sabotage it. I've put a lot of effort into this, and I don't want that six-fingered freak messing things up."

Alane gave a small shrug. "Alright, seems reason enough."

"See ya later, kid," Bill said.

"Oh, wait, Bill. I have a question," Alane said, a little louder than intended. But he was already gone. She'd been meaning to ask him about that machine, and if he knew why it made her feel like she was basically being torn apart earlier.

Though she knew her pupils were back to normal and her eyes blue once again, Alane let her eyelids droop. The day had been exhausting, even for her.

She must have been really spaced out, because she didn't notice Stan stop talking, nor did she hear Mabel walking over until she felt the girl's hand on her shoulder.

Starting, eyes wide, Alane looked up at Mabel, who's face showed quiet worry. Alane hoped to everything that it was too dark for Mabel to notice if any of her hair had turned black.

"Hey, uh... Heard you talking to someone. You doing alright?" Mabel asked. She clearly thought it was weird that she was talking to someone with no one around, but didn't comment on it.

Alane put on a big grin. "Nah, just talking to myself. Trying to grasp everything that's going on, you know?" She laughed. "I'm fine though. Thanks for checking on me."

Mabel gave her a braces filled smile. "Good to hear. Hey, you want to come listen to the rest of Stan's and Ford's story? It's sad, but interesting!"

She really didn't want to, but also didn't want to tell Mabel no. "Yeah, sure. Might as well," she sighed as she stood up before walking back over to the others with Mabel.

Stan and Ford stood facing opposite ways, both men frowning. Alane rolled her eyes. "Can't you guys just forgive each other for whatever it is that happened and move on?" She grumbled, fully aware that she sounded a bit hypocritical since she hadn't forgiven Ford for those experiments.

"It's not that simple, kid," Stan muttered. Alane just shrugged before sitting down besides Mabel on a rock. Dipper was on the other side of his sister, watching Alane warily.

Stan cleared his throat. "Anyway, Ford and I got into an argument. It was the first time Ford had wanted to see me in ten years, and it was to tell me to get as far away from him as possible. Naturally, I was upset."

"But Stan didn't understand where I was coming from," Ford broke in, turning around to glare at his brother. "I wasn't prepared to forgive him for costing me my dream school, but I was willing to give him something worthwhile to do, something that would help me, his brother, greatly. His response? Stan tried to burn my journal. All my research, everything I'd been working so hard on... He wanted to burn it."

"Ford ended up acting like a baby and started wrestling with me, because _apparently_ burning the research he _didn't want to be read ever_ wasn't a good idea. I got angry, and we ended up fighting over the book," Stan said, glaring right back at Ford.

"We had hit a lot of stuff while we fought. Must've started the portal by mistake, because when Ford tripped over that lever, it started glowing. By then, I just felt betrayed. I told Ford he could have his book, since it meant so much more than family to him. But... I gave it back a little too roughly. 

"Ford was over the safety line on the ground, and was starting to float towards the machine. He went through before I even had time to react. Just as he passed through, it shut down. I couldn't get it back on.

"I'd lost him.

"I didn't know if he was dead or alive in some distant galaxy, but I knew his journal must have the answer for getting him back, somehow...

"I didn't get much sleep that night. Or the night after that. I tried for weeks to get that dumb machine back on. But without the other two journals, it was hopeless.

"Finally, I ran out of food. I had no choice but to go into town.

"I hadn't been in the store long before people started to recognize me. But the thing was, they thought I was Ford. The crowd began to talk about how they'd been hearing rumors and how it'd be cool to see what went on in the house. A few asked if I gave tours, to which I said yes.

"Of course, I wowed the people with my amazing tour of Ford's old place. And so I came up with a plan. I couldn't leave my brother's house until I figured out how to save him, but I needed to pay his mortgage somehow.

"For once in my life, people were actually buying what I was selling. And so, the Murder Hut was born, later renamed the Mystery Shack. Finally, I found something I was good at. For once, being a liar and a cheat paid off. The old me was dead, and I faked a car crash to prove it. By day I was Stanford Pines, Mr. Mystery. But by night, I was down in the basement, trying to bring the real Stanford back.

"I couldn't risk anyone learning the truth and sabotaging my mission, so I lied to everyone. The town, my family, your parents, even you kids," Stan finished.

Alane sighed with relief. She'd been worried that was going to take awhile.

"So all this time, you were just trying to save your brother," Dipper said thoughtfully. "Grunkle Stan, I'm so sorry I didn't believe you."

"That's okay kid, I probably wouldn't have believed me either," Stan said sadly.

Suddenly, there was a noise from upstairs. "I heard talking, it was coming from downstairs!" Someone said from up above.

"Oh no, it's too late the agents are coming for us!" Alane squealed, hugging her legs to her chest as she tried to steady her breathing.

"Oh no, what do we do?" Mabel exclaimed.

"Oh man, I was so spellbound by your dramatic tale that I forgot all about those dudes," Soos said sadly.

"Wait... Forget!" Dipper said suddenly, reaching into the backpack besides him. "That's it! I think I know a way we might be able to defeat those agents!" From one of the bag's pockets, Dipper pulled out something that looked much like a gun, but with light bulbs on it. He held it out to Ford happily.

"Of course! I dunno how you got a hold of one of these, but this is perfect!" Ford took the gun from Dipper, hurriedly heading towards the lab. The others followed, Alane bringing up the rear.

"If I can just amplify this signal to a radio headset frequency..." Ford muttered as he began to plug wires into the machine.

"Ford, no," Alane muttered, coming up besides him. She took the gun from his hands, stiffening as they touched for a split second, but she snapped out of it. "You're setting it wrong. Look, see? That's just a frequency for a car radio. You could've just done whatever it is you're doing to everyone in town." She rolled her eyes, changing the dial on the gun by one notch. "There."

Ford awkwardly nodded his thanks before looking into the thing in front of him. He rotated it slightly. "There..! Now everyone, plug your ears! Get down, now!"

Everyone, even Alane followed his order, ducking down with their hands over their ears as a ringing began to fill the room. The ground trembled slightly then stopped.

"I'm going to need some official looking papers, stat," Ford said as soon as everyone was standing again.

"Leave that to Mabel," Mabel told him with a wink.

 

"Stand down, gentlemen!" Ford said from where he now stood on the shack's porch, papers in his hand. "I've been sent with the latest lintel from Washington. According to this very real report, the power surges in Gravity Falls were actually due to an unreported meteor shower. A total embarrassment for your whole department."

The agents in front of him looked utterly confused. "Luckily, I'm here to take this mess of your hands. I'll need all of your... Floppy discs and, ah, eight tracks, right?"

"Uh, everything about this case is contained on this drive," Agent Powers said, rubbing his head. Trigger stepped forward, handing Ford the drive.

Ford took it, putting it in his pocket. "Well, what are you waiting for, a kiss on the cheek? Get out of here before I have your butts court marshaled!"

"Ah, yes sir, apologies, sir," Powers said, him and Trigger saluting Ford before turning around. Powers whistled at everyone. "False alarm everyone!" He yelled before he and Trigger stumbled back to their car, nearly falling over branches on the way.

The others were watching from inside as the helicopters took off and cars drove away, but ran outside when they were gone. Ford gave the drive to Gompers the goat after putting Mabel's drawings in his pocket.

Mabel skidded to a halt besides him. "Great Uncle Stanford, that was amazing!" She said happily.

"Let's not go crazy, it was serviceable," Stan grumbled. 

Alane, who was standing next to him, playfully elbowed his side. "I think our escape from the police station earlier was more impressive," she whispered, earning a smile from Stan.

Ford chuckled. "Thank you kids, but please, call me Ford."

"Sure, thanks Great Uncle Ford," Dipper said as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "So, uh, would you mind if I ask you a couple billion questions about Gravity Falls?" Dipper pulled a pen and pad of paper from his pockets and began to rapidly click the pen.

"Um, well, I uh," Ford stammered, rubbing the back of his head.

"Alright kids, it's been a long day and me and my brother have a lot to talk about, so why don't you hit the hay, huh?" Stan said, walking towards them as he gestured towards the house. 

"But, it's the author! I've been waiting so long to ask questions about-!"

Stan cut Dipper off as he turned him and Mabel towards the house. "I said hit the hay," he grumbled, pushing them towards the house. 

Dipper walked inside sullenly, Mabel putting her hand on his back.

"I'll just, uh, let myself out," Soos said before walking off the porch. He wasn't even on the ground before he dialed Wendy's phone number. "Wendy, I've got something amazing to tell you. Clear the next fourteen hours!"

Alane sighed from where she still stood, shooting Stan and Ford a mock salute. "I'm gonna turn in, too. I promise I'll be out of your hair by tomorrow, Mr. Pines," Alane said with a small smile, avoiding Ford's gaze. Though on the outside she appeared to be cool and collect, every part of her body was screaming at her to get as far away from Ford as possible.

"Whoa kid, what?" Stan asked with a small laugh. "What do you mean? Your dad isn't here yet."

Alane narrowed her eyes at Stan. "Dude, remember that whole ride to the police station? No one's coming to pick me up. It's just me."

His eyes widened. "To be honest, I thought you were pulling my leg."

"Wait, she _told you_ about what she was?" Ford ask Stan in surprise before looking over at Alane. "I thought you only told people you trusted to keep the secret? And wait... You two were arrested?"

"'Told me' is going a bit far. Saying she knew you and that she was older than she looked was pretty much all she said," Stan told his brother, shrugging.

She had to hold back a snarl as she said, "Your brother seems a lot more worthy of my trust than you ever were, Stanford." Ford seemed a little taken aback. Alane gave a satisfied huff as she looked back at Stan. "If you got questions, Mr. Pines, ask Dipper. He knows, too. Soos as well. Just... Don't tell Mabel, alright? I want to leave on good terms, and she might not take kindly to my lying."

"Kid, you don't have to leave," Stan said with a half smile.

Alane gave a slow shake of her head. "No, I do. It's not safe for me here, and Dipper has already expressed that he'd prefer me to leave. He's even said so." Stan looked surprised. "My bags are packed. I'll leave first thing tomorrow."

She began to walk back inside, then stopped short. "Hey, uh, never mind, don't ask Dipper about me. I get the impression he doesn't like me, and I'm worried he may alter some of the facts I told him. Here." She reached into her pocket and withdrew her notebook, which she tossed to Stan. "Read that instead, if you want. Just please give it back before I leave. I feel uncomfortable not having it with me, and Dipper's already stolen it once."

"Another journal?" Stan grumbled, flipping the old book over in his hands.

Ford looked visibly hurt. "Your notebook? But, you didn't even let me read that!"

Alane shrugged. "Don't be jealous of your brother, Ford. I just like him more," she laughed before heading into the house.

The second she stepped inside, Alane rushed towards her room, closing the door behind her before pressing her back up against it and sinking to the floor. Her breaths came out in ragged pants as she hugged her torso.

"Calm down, calm down, it's alright..." Alane muttered to herself as she tried to steady her breathing. Just being in the presence of Ford had spiked a fear inside of her that she hadn't felt in over thirty years. She was even feeling herself begin to turn into that _thing,_ not just appearance wise but inside too. That bout of confidence she'd had while speaking to Ford... It hadn't been her talking. She didn't talk like that, ever. At least, not when she was fully in control.

"I just gotta keep calm," she murmured. She took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. "I won't go crazy. I won't. Not now. I can't put these people and the town in that kind of danger..." She heaved herself to her feet, stumbling awkwardly to the bed before sitting down with a huff. 

Alane rubbed her face tiredly. "Just gotta deal with it for one night at least. As long as he doesn't corner me and try to talk or something, I should be fine..."

As if on cue, there was a knock at her door.

After a brief flare of panic, she dismissed it as being Mabel. Like, why would it be Ford? He didn't even know where her room was. She looked herself over quickly to make sure she hadn't changed and, upon finding herself normal, she breathed a sigh of relief before walking over to the door.

"Mabel, didn't your uncle tell you to go to..." Alane said with a laugh as she pulled open the door.

Surprise, surprise. It wasn't Mabel. Alane felt herself go cold.

"Oh, uh, hi," Ford stammered, looking at Alane. "Stan said you were, ah, staying in my old room. I just came to get a few things, and then I'll be outta your hair."

Of course _this is his old room,_ Alane thought sourly as she moved away from the door, allowing him to enter.

Ford hesitated only a second before coming in, heading over to the closet. From it, he withdrew a red turtle neck sweater, a pair of pants and a dusty brown coat. He closed the door once he had them draped over his left arm.

"W-Well?" Alane stammered after Ford had been standing there too long for her liking.

He avoided her gaze. "Is it, ah... Really you?" He asked after a moment, looking at the floor.

"Yes," she said, causing Ford to look up. "The floor is really the floor." _I didn't mean to say that._

"Really, Alane, is it you? Because you seem rather... Different." Ford looked her straight in the face.

She rubbed her face tiredly, mainly looking for a way to break eye contact. "Y-Yes, it's me," she sighed after a moment. "Surprised y-you've even g-gotta ask." She paused to chuckle. "I-I'm even wearing t-the s-same clothes."

He smiled slowly. "It's good to see you again. You haven't aged a day, unlike me." He laughed. Alane began to smile, but caught herself and forced her face to remain emotionless. Ford stopped, suddenly serious. "What happened to you? Why did you just... Leave?" 

"You don't r-remember, do you..?" Alane asked after a short silence. Ford looked utterly lost, and Alane sorrowfully shook her head. "Ah, probably for the best. Why should the memory haunt both of us? Might as well just be me. But then, would you even be haunted by it if you remembered? Or would you just feel regret about not finishing the job?"

Ford looked confused. "Alane, what are you talking about? What happened?"

She stared him in the eyes until he looked away. She gave a small snort of laughter. "Honestly? It doesn't matter. Don't think too hard about it. You got what you came here for, right?" She gestured to what he was carrying. "Then leave. I'd prefer to be alone right now."

"Alane, please, just tell me what happened-,"

She didn't bother listening to him. Her other self was resurfacing, and though she hated Ford, she didn't want him around if she couldn't control it. So she marched over to him and turned him towards the door. Her height made it a bit awkward, but she pushed him to the doorway with ease before closing the door behind him.

Once alone again, Alane returned to her bed and tried to regain control of her breathing as a mixture of tears and blood ran from her eyes.


	22. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tad bit of gore starts here~  
> Also the weirdness.

She had to get out of there.

The stress and fear of the past few days had gotten to her, and it was getting increasingly harder to keep her other self at bay. She suspected that she couldn't hold out much longer, and didn't want to be around people when the time came.

Alane had slept like a rock for a few hours, then had awoken around five o'clock in the morning. As soon as she'd opened her eyes, she'd slipped into motion.

First thing she did was make the bed. She left it looking nicer than it had when she'd arrived. Next, she made sure her bag was in order and ended up refolding all the clothes.

After that, she got to work on the note.

Her hair was black now and wouldn't return to it's usual shade of light brown, no matter how hard she tried to relax. She couldn't risk even saying goodbye to Mabel in person, so a note would have to do.

She pulled out the old chair by the desk before sitting down. She used the pen in her pocket to write out a note on the old piece of paper before her.

Alane ended up wasting almost two hours pondering what to say, then ended up settling with, _"Dear Mabel, I'm sorry to inform you this way, but I am returning home. My father called me this morning and I have to rush to the bus stop in order to make it to the next town in time._

_"My time staying with you has been wonderful. I can't remember the last time I've had this much fun, or met as good of a friend as you. I hope to meet again someday. Goodbye for now, Alane."_

Once she'd finished, she quickly folded the note in half and put it atop the pillow on her bed.

"That takes care of that," she muttered to herself as she zipped her bag. Then something occurred to her. She groaned. "Gotta get my notebook back."

She opened her door the slightest bit, peeking out into the hall to make sure no one was there. The hallway was deserted, which was to be expected. Why would anyone be up, wandering the house at not even seven in the morning?

Careful as to keep the door from creaking, she opened it the rest of the way and stepped out into the hall. Pulling her bag behind her, she quietly made her way to the kitchen, the only noise in the house being the bag's wheels rolling on the wooden floorboards.

 _I sure as heck hope Stan didn't bring that book into his room,_ she thought with a shudder. She'd hate to have to creep in there to get it.

To her relief, as she walked into the living room, she spotted the back of someone's leg and the corner of her notebook as the person carrying it walked into the kitchen. Stan must be up reading it.

Ford was asleep on the couch. It looked like he was really uncomfortable; he was basically curled into a ball with his head hanging off one of the armrests. Alane took care to leave her bag by the door and tiptoe past him, so as not to wake him up.

"Hey, Mr. Pines," Alane said quietly as she rounded the corner into the kitchen. "Gonna need my..."

It wasn't Mr. Pines in the kitchen.

Now staring at her was Mabel, her notebook open in her hands on the page that was scrawled with the horrific writing of after she'd hurt Ford. Fear was clear in her eyes, accompanied by shock, hurt and, most of all, betrayal.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mabel asked quietly, sniffling. "Why didn't you tell me you weren't human? Didn't you trust me?"

"It didn't have anything to do with trust, Mabel," Alane said, panicked as she took a step towards Mabel. Mabel backed away from her. "I just didn't want you to think of me as a monster. P-please, give me my notebook b-back." She held out her hand. Her arm and rest of her body was shaking with panic.

"What did you do?" Mabel asked. A tear streamed down one of her cheeks. "What did you do to Ford?" Something suddenly occurred to her. "And why is your hair black now?"

Alane struggled to get a response out. It was starting to become painful to hold her other self at bay. "Mabel, p-please," she finally gasped out. "I d-don't have a lot o-of t-time."

Though they'd been speaking in hushed voices, the two of them froze at the sound of steps coming from the living room. "Is everything alright?" Ford asked drowsily, rubbing his eyes to get the sleep out of them.

Alane felt her heart tear in two as Mabel ran to hide behind Ford's leg. Ford, who she'd known for barely a day. Mabel was hiding behind him to escape her, Alane. Her friend.

She couldn't stop them. Alane could feel tears begin to run down her face.

But Alane could tell from the horrified expressions of Ford and Mabel that they weren't just tears.

To her surprise, Ford pushed back his coat to revile a gun of some kind. He took it out of it's holster, aiming it right at Alane. "Alane, tell me, what is happening?" He asked. He looked calm, but she could tell he was frightened as well.

"Y-you n-need to get a-away from m-me," she sobbed, covering her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at them. The blood seeped through her fingers, running down her hands and soaking the cuffs of her sweater.

"Alane..?" Mabel asked uncertainly. 

"Tell me what I can do to help," Ford said, just shy of a yell. His gun was still pointed at her.

Alane went rigged. The bloody tears stopped falling and slowly, she lowered her hands. The tattoos on her palms had changed, the once closed eyes were gone. In their places were large, open yellow eyes with slits for pupils.

Her demeanor had changed as well. She'd stopped shaking and now looked down at her blood covered hands, a grin on her face. Her eyes had turned black, which contrasted strongly against her almost paper white skin.

"Well, how 'bout that," she mused, looking down at her clothes. "They haven't changed color yet. Odd. They usually change first thing."

Ford's hands were shaking and Mabel looked genuinely horrified from where she stood behind him. She gave them both a big, menacing smile. "C'mon, do I really look _that_ bad? I kinda like it," Alane said, chuckling. "Sure, those red lines under my eyes are a bit much, but still. They look nicer when my outfit switches colors. Match better, you know?"

"Are you alright, Alane?" Ford asked nervously. "What's happened to you?"

Alane gave one loud, hard laugh. "What's happened to me? Don't act like you haven't seen this before, Sixer." His face paled at her usage of that name.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Please, is there anything I can do to help?"

She rolled her soulless, black eyes. "Yes, yes. I forgot. You don't remember that whole, ah... Fiasco." She rubbed her blood-soaked hands on her sweater, which was beginning to turn a deep red color. "Nah, nothing you can do to help. Just gotta ride it out, ya know?"

Alane slowly walked over to the kitchen sink, taking a rag out of one of the drawers before returning to where she'd been standing. She threw it on the puddle of blood that had formed on the floor from her eyes. "You guys think this is bad? You should see me when I'm fully changed. I mean, you already _have,_ Fordsy. You wondering why you don't remember why I left? Wondering why I'm like this?"

With silent steps, she approached the two of them. They visibly stiffened, Ford's finger going towards the trigger. But Alane just shrugged and reached towards Mabel, taking her notebook back with a toothy smile.

As she walked back to where she'd been standing, she opened the book so Ford could read what she'd scrawled on the page. Then she turned to look him head on, her eyes dead. "You met the real me.

"You know, it is sorta your fault," Alane said as she picked up the blood-soaked rag and threw it into the sink. "I never had this problem until we met. Now? It's like I've got a... A killer panic disorder. And I mean _killer._ " She chuckled. 

"Sorry, sorry. I'm becoming a bit hard to follow, aren't I?" She said, popping her knuckles. "Just been awhile since I've felt like this and boy, it's hard to keep a clear train of thought. I feel so powerful, like I can do anything... Oh wait, I forgot. I can."

Ford looked lost and torn. Alane knew why. He had a gun pointed at his once extremely close friend. If he shot, he'd kill her, but it'd be to protect his niece and himself. If he didn't shoot, and she attacked, they could both die, but Alane, his friend, would live. If she tried anything, it'd come down to who's lives mattered more to him, and he didn't seem to want to make that choice.

"Why are you doing this?"

Alane was shocked. She let her mouth open slightly to show it, and also to show off her now fang-like teeth. "Doing this? Why Fordsy, I have no control over it. It's a defense mechanism, triggered when my emotions are running high. Like fear, anger, sadness. It's why I gotta keep cool all the time. Cuz, ya know, I don't want to murder anyone by mistake." She giggled.

"Is there anything you can do to stop it?" He pressed.

Alane gave him a small, pitying smile. "Not that I know of, buddy. I just have to ride it out until I exhaust myself. Being like this takes a lot outta me. But, I still got a bit of control, which is good." She gave them both a smile that was just a bit too big. "Means that if I can get myself to stop talking, I can run from here and I won't kill you guys by accident when I _really_ can't control this."

Her shirt was half red, half brown now, and her pants were black instead of the usual blue. Alane didn't have much more time. If she could just _shut herself up..._

Mabel was watching Alane. She seemed to be over being lied to, and now just looked worried for her friend. "Run? Run where?" She asked quietly. Ford jumped, as if he'd forgotten Mabel was behind him.

Alane shrugged. "Find a cave and hide? Just keep running and never stop? I dunno. Just need to get away. Speaking of which, excuse me, I need to get by you. My stuff is in that bag over there." She grinned, pointing past them at the bag across the house.

"Wait," Ford said suddenly, lowering his weapon. "This lasts until you exhaust yourself, correct? Well, if you can make it down to the basement, I can just contain you until-"

The change in color flared, becoming brighter and spreading quicker. "No!" She growled, causing both people to shrink back in sudden fright. She'd begun to shake again. "No... I'm not going down there. I'm not going to be contained like some lab experiment.

"Besides, no cage you can make in the next two minutes will be strong enough to hold me. I just..." She trailed off as she began to feel light headed. "Urgh," she gasped out as she fell to her knees.

"Alane!" Mabel said, rushing towards her but being stopped and pulled back by Ford. He had his gun trained on her again. "Let go! She needs our help!"

"No, it's too late! Go up to the attic and lock the door!" Ford shouted.

Mabel hesitated, looking at Alane, who was doubled over in what she assumed was pain. But a second later she took off towards the stairs. There was a shout from her as she yelled at Dipper to go back up, he'd been coming down to see what all the commotion was about, which was then followed by two sets of pounding footsteps and the slam of a door.

Ford was looking at the stairs when Alane suddenly looked up at him. "Shoot me," she gasped.

"What?" He asked in utter shock.

"You heard me, you idiot," she growled, clutching at her head. "Shoot me. If... If I turn, if I change here, I could hurt you guys. I could _kill_ you guys." She erupted in loud, hysteric laughter, a devilish smile spreading across her face. _"How much fun that would be!"_

Panicked, Ford raised up his gun. It was pointed directly at Alane's forehead. " _Do it,_ " she growled, somewhere between a taunt and a beg.

Ford kept his gun trained on her for a few more seconds, before he let it fall to his side. "I can't do it..." He murmured. "I can't shoot you."

She let out a wail as her shirt turned fully into red. She'd been holding it back so long that it was painful for it to finally overtake her, even more painful than what that machine had done to her head. "Then move!" She yelled.

Ford stepped to the side as Alane's form began to change into that of an animal. She sprouted a tail and black fur appeared all over her body. Within a span of mere seconds, she was a wolf, growling at Ford.

Then she took off past him, her four legs granting her more speed. She made it through the living room in two bounds, and to the door in another. She didn't slow though, and instead burst straight through it. She hadn't even stopped to grab her possessions, leaving her phone and notebook on the floor of the kitchen, and her bag ready at the door.

Ford watched in stunned silence as Alane vanished into the foliage that surrounded the clearing he'd built the house in. Even after she was gone from view, he could hear inhuman screams emitting from the direction she'd gone.

He was still standing there when Stan walked into the kitchen, still in his dirty undershirt and boxers. He straightened his fez as he looked past Ford into the kitchen, then back at the front door, which now missed it's bottom half.

"Did I miss something?" Stan asked drowsily.


	23. Chapter Twenty-One

"She _what?_ " Dipper exclaimed in alarm as Mabel and Ford filled him and Stan in on what had happened during the previous hour.

"She said her other form had been triggered," Ford explained again in short. "She turned into a wolf and left so that we'd be safe."

"So what is she, like, a werewolf or something?" Stan asked, taking a sip of his Pitt Cola. He'd been trying his best to follow what his brother had been saying, but most of it had just passed right over him.

Ford shook his head. "No, she isn't a werewolf, but a shape-shifter, among other things as well. I assume she took the form of a wolf to get out of the area quicker."

"So what are we going to do?" Dipper asked as he slipped out of his chair to pace. "If she's dangerous, we can't just let her, I don't know, run wild? in the forest. There are hikers and lumberjacks that she could hurt, or worse! We could try trapping her, but that'd put us in danger instead..." He trailed off into unintelligible muttering.

"I agree, we cannot just let her run amok when she's like this. She's a danger to everyone in this state. However, capturing her would be an unwise decision. I suggested containing her, and it just seemed to further along her change into whatever she is now."

Stan snorted. "Well of course it did, Poindexter. You said this thing is triggered by emotions? You just suggested to imprison her until she stopped having her 'panic attack'. You think that did anything besides panic her even more?"

Ford ignored his brother. "I think we need to track her and wait until she's back to normal, then bring her back to the shack to be contained in the basement. If given enough time, I might be able to find a way to keep this from happening again. We will, of course, tranquilize her to make sure she doesn't change again on the way back, or when we're getting her."

"You guys are talking like she's an animal," Mabel muttered. She was sitting on a chair next to Stan and hugging her legs. She hadn't spoken up too much, only occasionally making a comment or sharing info on what happened. "She's not an animal."

Dipper paused in his pacing to shoot Mabel a pointed look. "Mabel, she's not human. Anything not human is technically an animal."

"Oh yeah? What about aliens? Or gnomes?"

"I would classify gnomes as animals," Dipper muttered and, after a moment, Mabel slowly nodded agreement. "Aliens, maybe not. But you're missing my point. She's not human, so it's not like she's got human rights or anything. We've gotta catch her how we can. We can worry about _how_ we're catching her after it's done."

Mabel huffed, crossing her arms.

"We should wait an hour or so before we begin to follow her. Back when Alane and I were friends in college, she showed me a few of her abilities. Inhuman strength, high stamina, shape shifting, healing... However, if this form is a defense, it's likely her powers are heightened, and she may have more than when she is stable. We cannot risk her knowing that we're on her trail if this is the case."

"We don't want her to know we're following her in general," Stan muttered, taking another sip of his drink.

Ford gave Stan a stiff nod before looking around at everyone else. "Okay, so here's how I think we should do this..."

 

Strangely, it wasn't like how Alane had experienced it the first time. If anything, it was worse.

She wasn't feeling out-of-body like the first time. When she'd been like that, she'd been numb. No, this time she was fully aware. Too aware. She could hear the patter of a squirrel's feet against the leaf-strewn ground a mile away, the marching rhythm of ants inspecting some rotting berries. Everything, pounding in her ears, all at once.

Along with this, she felt powerful. _Really powerful._ She felt like she could crush a mountain then crack the Earth in two and still feel well enough to run a marathon. She felt alive.

But... Then there was the other new sensation.

More than anything, Alane wanted to see blood. She wanted to crush the life out of something using only her hands. She wanted to kill every living thing she found and swim in the blood that pooled from their mangled bodies.

It scared that tiny part of her that was still sane that she didn't want to resist the urge.

Now back in her usual human-like form, she was running through the forest. Anything in her path, she knocked over, including trees. They were mere obstacles in her way. Not important.

What _was_ important was getting away from the shack. She remembered this. Other things were... Foggy. Hard to remember, and seeming unimportant. If they were important, she'd remember them, right? Right.

Alane came upon a large, light-gray boulder, her dark clothing clashing harshly against it.

Upon normal circumstances, Alane would've found the rock to be pretty. Peaceful and untouched by the harsh hands of humans. But now?

She just wanted to smash it to rubble.

 

Alane had left a pretty clear path in the undergrowth. It looked as if a steam roller had just plowed through and over everything. The ground was bumpy with debris, fallen trees and crushed bushes, but the four of them drove over everything in the golf cart anyway.

Mabel and Dipper sat on the back bench, being jostled about with each small bump they hit. Dipper was holding on for dear life; the thin seat belts on the bench didn't offer much in ways of safety.

Besides him, Mabel seemed oblivious to what was going on. She was hugging her knees against her, eyes locked on the path behind them, blinking slowly.

"You alright, Mabel?" Dipper asked, voice shaking as he bounced on the seat.

He wasn't sure if Mabel had heard him, since she didn't reply right away. Dipper assumed that, what with Ford and Stan arguing on the other side of the seat and the loud cart engine, he must have been drowned out.

But then he heard Mabel mutter something. "What was that?" He asked.

"This is all my fault," she mumbled a bit louder.

His eyes widened, surprised. "Why would you think that?"

She sighed. "Alane only freaked out because I read her notebook. If I'd minded my own business and been a good friend, then none of this would be happening."

Dipper put his hand on Mabel's back in a reassuring gesture. "You are a good friend, Mabel. This isn't your fault."

"But I'm _not_ a good friend!" She protested as they hit another bump. Mabel thrust her fist towards Dipper, in which she grasped a piece of crumpled paper. "See this? It was a note Alane left me. She was leaving, Dipper, without even saying goodbye."

"That might be sorta my fault," Dipper admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I read her notebook without asking, too. I felt uncomfortable knowing that she, well, wasn't human and I, uh, well... Told her she should leave."

Mabel huffed, clearly angry at Dipper but not yelling at him. "That's not it," she muttered after a short pause. It occurred to Dipper how upset she was, since she wasn't even nagging him about telling Alane to leave. "When Alane began to freak out, I hid, Dipper. I hid behind Ford like she was a monster.

"She was trying to explain things to me, and I didn't listen. I just... I don't know. I just stood there and made things worse. What kind of friend am I, if I can't even help or listen to her when she needs me? When she's hurting, and all I do is make her feel like a monster?"

Dipper didn't know how to comfort Mabel, who was now crying, so he just gave her as good of a hug as he could manage without falling off the cart. "It'll be alright, Mabel. We'll find her, don't worry."

 

Laying at the base of what was once a boulder, her side covered with rubble, was Alane. She was sprawled out on her side and back to her normal self. Her clothes were still in the process of changing back to their normal colors, but they were getting there.

Alane's breathing was ragged. When she'd changed back to her normal self, it'd been like all her energy had drained out of her. Even with sleeping through the night without waking, she was bone tired.

Though really, of course she was tired. She'd had just enough control to keep herself from going out to search for things to kill, having instead smashed the boulder into rubble. It hadn't taken long to break it, but she'd done a thorough job, leaving nothing still whole.

 _Just need... To sleep..._ She thought, eyes closed as her breathing steadied.

Her sense of relaxation evaporated an instant later though, as the harsh sound of tires on rubble filled her ears. She scowled, but kept her eyes closed. Someone had found her, probably came to investigate the noise she'd made and the fallen trees.

 _Let them think I was caught in a landslide or something,_ she thought to herself with a grumble. _I need a nap._

Whatever the new arrivals had driven skidded to a stop a few feet away. She heard a shocked gasp emit from someone as four sets of feet dropped onto the ground.

Alane inwardly groaned when she realized who'd gasped.

"Alane!" Mabel exclaimed as she ran over to her, kneeling by her side. The girl was worried, this was obvious, but she made no move to check Alane for signs of life or injury. She just sat there, her face a mask of fear as she watched Alane's clothes return to their usual brown and blue colors.

"Alane?" Ford asked as he came up behind Mabel. Two sets of footsteps followed him slowly. "Are you awake?"

"I'd..." She yawned. "Appreciate it if... You guys would let me..." Another yawn. "Sleep for a bit before you... Chase me... Off..." Her last few words were slurred together.

She heard Stan's familiar chuckle. "We're not here to chase you off, kid."

"Yes, we've come to help you," Ford added. She heard gravel shift as he knelt down besides her and Mabel. "We're going to bring you back to the shack and run some tests, try to figure out how to keep this from happening to you again."

Her eyes flew open at the mention of "tests." She sat up, gravel flying from her as Mabel and Ford stood up hurriedly and took a few steps away from her. "No, no tests," she said, trying to keep her voice level, but her fear was clear.

"It wouldn't be anything too extreme. I'd just need some blood samples-"

"I said no!" The roots of her hair flared black. Just the sudden change drew out more of the energy that she so desperately needed to keep awake. Her eyes fluttered as she suddenly felt lightheaded.

Ford held up his hands apologetically as Dipper's face paled. "Okay, okay, no tests. Just let us bring you back to the shack. You need to be cared for, whatever has just happened to you has obviously left you weak."

She shook her head stiffly. "No, I'm not going back. I don't care if I'm unfit to travel, or if this area isn't the safest. I'm a danger to you guys and I need to leave."

"You're not a danger to us!" Mabel protested.

"Would you really leave without your notebook? And your clothes and your phone?" Dipper added, raising an eyebrow.

Alane patted her pockets, realizing with dread that they were empty. Her phone must have fallen out, and she'd never even put her notebook in them.

Despite this, Alane still shook her head. "You guys keep it all. Write a novel or something based off the book if you want. I can't go back. I need to leave."

"The kid seems pretty determined to leave," Stan stated to the others. He seemed indifferent on the whole situation.

Ford glared at his brother before looking at Alane. "We can defend ourselves, Alane. I know you posses super strength, but honestly, I think we'd be fine if this happened again. So why don't you just come back to the shack and we can sort this all out?"

Alane glared at Ford. "Don't you ever listen, Ford? I've said no. You guys really have no idea what you're dealing with here. I could _kill_ one of you in a matter of seconds when I'm like that, and the thing is, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from doing it."

"Which is prosaically why we need to find a way to cure you of this. But until then, I am confident we can protect ourselves from you, if needed."

"I'm not sick," she growled. "I've always been like this. You just did something, and now it's triggered more easily." She glared at Ford. "I'm not going back and that's that."

Dipper and Ford shared a look. Mabel caught this out of the corner of her eye, and quickly turned to face them. "No, guys. She doesn't want to come back with us."

"I'm sorry Mabel, but she's too unstable to be left unguarded," Ford told his niece.

"Wait, what are you guys-?" Alane started, but cut herself off as Ford reached for his belt.

A second later, a gun, different from the one before was pointed at her.

"Whoa, hey, bro. The kid's obviously wanting to leave, and she seemed pretty good at controlling this before. She just got a little freaked out, is all. Just let her go." Stan made a move to step in front of his brother, but Ford just aimed around him.

"She has to be contained, Stan. She's dangerous! Do you not even care that she did something to me last time we met?" Ford asked his brother, not taking his eyes off Alane.

"That's in the past, Ford. Over thirty years ago! Just let it go, and let her leave."

Alane shakily got to her feet. She could feel her panic rising, but fought to keep it down. If she turned again... It wouldn't end well. "You seriously going to shoot me, Ford?" She asked with a shaky laugh. "In front of your family? You had the perfect chance earlier. You regretting not taking it or s-something?"

"I'm not going to let you do this! It's wrong!" Mabel exclaimed, standing in front of Alane and staring Ford down.

To Mabel's surprise though, Dipper tackled her out of Ford's way and away from Alane, who's hair was growing steadily darker.

"Forgive me for this," Ford said quietly to Alane, then pulled the trigger.

Alane was too shocked to move in time. It was like the world was in slow motion as the dart shot out of Ford's gun, shooting through the air until it pierced her in the shoulder. 

She winced in pain as she felt the contents of the dart be injected into her shoulder. She suddenly felt even more drowsy, if that was even possible.

"You... You tranquilized me? S-seriously?" She gasped out as she fell to her knees. "That's really... Really uncool of y-you, Ford."

"I. Can't. Believe. You!" Mabel shouted as she weakly pounded her fists against Ford's leg. "You're treating her like an animal!"

"We had to do it, Mabel," Dipper said, arms crossed as he looked at Alane.

Stan looked just as uneasy as Mabel. "This seems really wrong, Poindexter," he muttered.

"I'm s-sorry," Alane stuttered. The world was growing blurry.

"For what?" Mabel asked, sniffing as her eyes welled up.

"F-for if I-I break s-something, o-or somebody, when I w-wake u-up," she stammered. She blinked slowly. "I-I think I'm g-gonna... Take t-that nap n-now."

A second later, Alane's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she face planted into the ground.


	24. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I want this chapter drawn as a comic or something.

Alane blinked open her eyes.

She was sitting with her knees up against her, leaning against the round side of the thing that contained her. The round cage, or whatever it was, was white, aside from a glass panel in front of her which was probably the door.

She stood up on shaky legs, her bones themselves aching from sitting in that uncomfortable position for so long. _How long was I out?_ She wondered as she tapped on the glass gingerly.

Didn't sound like anyone was down there at the moment, and she was still tired, so Alane sat down cross-legged, which she only just barely had room to do. She took the time to study her prison, noticing vents on both the roof and bottom of the cage, either for letting in oxygen or something else.

Her panic was all but gone now, having been replaced with a numbness. It felt like that middle-ground between fully changed and stable. She wasn't sure how comfortable she was with it.

Alane quickly had the cage mapped out in her mind, and decided to direct her attention to the outside. The glass was fogged, but she rubbed her sweater sleeve on it and it cleared a bit.

It took only a moment for her to realize she was in a lab. An old one, by the looks of it. To her left she could just make out a tube-ish cage, which probably resembled the one she was in. The glass on this one was shattered and the equipment at it's base was just as broken.

The rest of the lab was in similar condition. There was an actual cage further in the room, who's bars had been ripped open. Pieces of metal and various debris were scattered all over the floor and old lights flickered from where they hung on the ceiling.

Aside from all the ruin, there were tunnels in the walls leading off in all sorts of directions. A few of the ones closer to the ground were boarded up, or were beginning to be.

If Alane didn't know any better, she'd assume the lab was abandoned. But the fact she was imprisoned there, and the flickering of red and yellow lights coming from something just out of her line of sight, it was clear it was still in use, most likely by Ford.

As if on cue, the door to the lab slid open and Ford walked into the room, holding a chart. Alane made no move to stand, instead leaning up against the back of the cage and crossing her arms in front of her.

Ford visibly jumped with surprise upon seeing her. "You're ah, finally awake," he said, his voice a mixture a surprise and joy with a hint of fear.

"How long was I asleep?" Alane asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A few days. You didn't miss much." Ford began to walk towards her at a quicker pace.

"You been running you're precious tests?" She growled as Ford knelt down outside the cage and looked at her.

"I took some blood samples. I haven't discovered anything major yet, but I'm confident I will soon." He reached into his coat and took out her notebook, which he laid on the ground in front of him, along with her phone. "Mabel thought you should know that we didn't look through these."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Er, well. She didn't look through the rest, and I haven't touched it. And we got the phone away from Dipper before he could figure out your password."

"Thanks," Alane said with a hint of sarcasm. "Now tell me, _how_ am I supposed to get those?"

"You're not," Ford replied as he stood up. "Just wanted to show you we weren't invading your privacy. I'll leave them out here, so when we let you out, you can get them right away."

"You will be letting me out, then?" She raised an eyebrow again.

Ford nodded slowly. "Yes, but only when I know you won't try to leave or attack me."

"I'm not an animal, Ford. You can't just keep me locked up in this _thing_ until you think I can behave!"

"This is for your own good, Alane," Ford said quietly. "I really just want to help you. But I have to take precautions to make sure you don't hurt me or anyone back at the shack."

"Maybe I don't want your help!" She pointed out, glaring at Ford.

"So you want to keep changing into a monster whenever you feel feelings?" Ford questioned.

She ran this through her head. _Did_ she want to keep changing? The ever looming presence of it stressed her out beyond compare, but when she slipped and she did change, she felt... Alive. It was as if when she was 'normal', she was just a fragile piece of the person she could be. Plus, this passed time she seemed to have more control. Maybe with practice, she would be able to control herself completely.

But then there was that craving for bloodshed, that almost unbearable need to kill something. She didn't think that, no matter how much she practiced, that it would ever fade. It was a part of changing.

Alane remained silent.

"I'm not sure if that's a 'yes' or a 'no', but I'm hoping it's the latter." Ford sighed wearily as he turned, hands behind his back. He looked up at the ceiling.

"I honestly don't know what to do with you, Alane," he murmured after a minute of staring off into space. "I'm trying my best to find something that can block what happens to you, but I won't be able to succeed unless you cooperate with me, and as of right now, it seems you just hate me."

"I don't hate you," Alane said before she could stop herself. She clamped her mouth shut and looked down at the bottom of the cage.

"What is it then? Are you afraid of me?" Ford turned to look back at her. She didn't look up, but she could tell he was shocked. "Why..? What... What happened that caused you to be afraid of me?"

Her shoulders trembled slightly but she didn't speak. She didn't trust her voice to stay steady, and she wanted only to give the impression of being strong. Though, as it was, she wasn't doing too good of a job.

Ford crouched down. Hesitantly, he put a six-fingered hand up against the glass. "What did I do?" He asked quietly.

Though she tried, Alane couldn't stop the tears that began to roll down her cheeks. She shakily uncrossed her legs and pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly and avoiding Ford's face all the while.

"Alane, please..."

Ford's voice seemed to fade into the distance as her mind was suddenly filled with a presence that wasn't her's. She recognized it after a second as Bill. Her body stiffened as the realization occurred and the tears stopped flowing.

She could faintly hear Ford asking her something, but couldn't make out anything he said.

"Hiya, kid," Bill's voice rang out harshly in her head, causing her to wince slightly. "Haven't been able to contact ya for a few days. Thought something might have happened... Looks like I was right."

Alane felt incredibly distant from everything at that moment. The world was a blur of colors, all mashed together in a great blob.

She tried faintly to move some part, any part, of her body, but couldn't.

"Are you... Taking over my body?" She tried to ask, but her mouth didn't move. Instead, her voice rang through her head, much like Bill's always did.

"Just for a second, kid. You seem a bit too unstable to deal with Sixer right now. Figured I'd do you a favor and get rid of him for you," he said, his voice strangely soothing.

"Thanks..." Her voice rang out as she felt feeling slip away entirely. She felt even more tired than when she'd first woken up.

Bill had taken control of her before, mostly during times when she didn't know what to do and he did. She'd lose control of her limbs, lose feeling of everything actually, and he'd take over, much like how he would when possessing people.

She, being whatever it is that she was, could force him from her mind at any given point. It didn't really take much effort to do it, even without having feeling in her body, and Bill could never even take her over permanently unless she made a deal with him. However, unlike with others, Bill could move in and out of her mind with ease, which is why she could contact him.

One thing was different with this time, though. All the other times he took over, it always felt like she was looking through glass, but the world was always pretty much clear. But the blur she was seeing now... She blamed it on stress, fatigue and whatever Ford had shot her with to knock her out.

As she considered this though, the world began to come back into view, though still a bit fuzzy. She could see the world taking a different angle as her head raised up, but couldn't feel it.

Despite the blur, it was easy to make out the fear on Ford's face as he stumbled away from the glass, falling back onto the ground when he wasn't able to steadily stand up.

"Hello, Sixer," Bill's voice rang out loud and clear from her mouth. "Miss me? Admit it, you missed me."

"Bill!" Ford growled, regaining himself. Alane faintly wondered how they knew each other. "What are you doing? Why are you possessing Alane? I didn't hear you two make any deals just now."

"You know very well, Fordsy, that my deals are made in the dreamscape," Bill said, audibly rolling Alane's eyes.

"What deal did you make her?" Ford asked as he stood up.

Bill copied Ford's motion, standing up as well. His and Alane's shared legs were shaking, though they wore a grin on their face. "Oh, we didn't make a deal, brainiac. I offered to speak to you since she was too scared to face you herself, asking nothing in return. I didn't want to see the poor kid suffer more than she had to. I mean, she's already locked up with no chance of escaping without having to do the _unthinkable_ to you."

He proceeded to make a pouty-face, their now yellow eyes devious smiles of their own. "Sad, isn't it? You scarred her so badly, she can't even speak to you while separated by glass! The kid still can't trust you after what you did, oh, forty-something years ago? You're like the boogeyman to her now. Probably always will be."

Ford was pale. "What did I do? Please, I don't even know..."

 _"'Please, I don't even know'_ wow, Sixer. You sure are pathetic," Bill laughed harshly, then suddenly stopped, his eyes piercing. "You should count yourself lucky, though, if you don't remember. You get to forget what a monster you were." He ended with a wide and toothy smile.

There was a stretch of silence. Alane desperately wanted to know what was going on in either of the two's minds, know what they were thinking.

The silence seemed to be going on for forever when Ford suddenly slammed his fist against the glass, causing the containment unite to shudder. Bill grinned. "Enough games! Just tell me what I did, darn it! I need to know why she's so scared of me!"

"Under normal circumstances, I'd offer to make you a deal in exchange for that information," Bill said with a sly grin. "But, since I'm feeling generous, I'll tell you for free. That is, if you really want to know."

"Just tell me, you filthy demon," Ford muttered angrily, glaring through the glass.

Bill tilted his head at Ford, a devilish grin on his face. "You tried to kill her, Ford," he said, a hint of laughter in his voice.

Though it seemed impossible, Ford paled even more before stammering, "N-no, you're lying! I'd never try to _kill_ Alane!"

Alane tried to block out the next part, but, despite her attempts, she wasn't able to. "Is that so, Ford?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow. "Then how come you had her strapped down for a dissection that day she left? You were prepared to cut her up for science, even if she couldn't heal from wounds that extreme."

Bill gave him a pitying smile as Ford tried to grasp this. "It's what started all this, you know. Her instability. You triggered it that day; caused her to knock you out and leave you without memory of the event. She hasn't been able to control it since."

The smile turned into a sneer as Ford remained silent. "Not only did you try to kill her, but you ruined her life, Sixer. You know what you did now. You feel good?"

Before Ford could reply, Bill slipped out of control. Alane blinked her eyes once and they returned back to their usual color of light blue. "He shouldn't bug you for a while now, kid. Now that he knows what an awful person he is," Bill laughed in her mind before vanishing completely.

Ford looked to be in a daze. He only snapped out of it when Alane sagged against the side of the cage, sliding down to the floor.

She had thought the world wouldn't be so blurry once Bill left, but the world had only turned more so. And she felt _so tired..._

"Alane? Are you alright? It's you again, right?" Ford's voice seemed to echo towards her, but she couldn't make out his face, only a blurred figure. The blurry-Ford stood up and ran from view.

The last thing she heard before everything went white was a loud _"BEEP!"_ and a rush of air as the glass panel slid open, followed by the sound of footsteps coming towards her from the direction Ford had gone.


	25. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First chapter of part two! From here, weirdness sort of ebbs away a bit.

Dipper flopped back onto his bed with an unrestrained groan of boredom, nearly landing on multiple books he had spread out across it. The loose papers made crinkling sounds from under him as he did crush those, but he made no effort to move off of them.

He thought the author of the journals showing up would be cool. That, maybe, against all odds, the two of them might get along. Be friends, go on adventures, solve mysteries, or even just play a board game with him.

But no. Ford stays in Alane's room, his old room before he went into that portal, and spends most of his time either in the lab under the house, or in that bunker in the woods with Alane. He didn't even seem to have the time to play a game of Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons with him, and Dipper had ended up having to play with Gompers the goat.

That was days ago, and things had been just as unproductive and boring since. It was like Ford wasn't even here, and all that stuff with the government agents hadn't happened.

Mabel wasn't helping him with his boredom, either. Along with taking Alane's phone and diary from him, she was still upset about them having to capture Alane like that, which, for the record, hadn't really been their plan. Ford had thought she'd still be in touch with that weird, evil side of her's. None of them thought she would have turned back so quickly.

She didn't see things not going according to plan as a good excuse, though. Mabel thought that knocking Alane out when she was in control and when she wasn't and on a rampage were two different cases, and that they should have let her go like Alane had wanted.

Despite not acting like it, Dipper sorta agreed. Knocking Alane out when she just wanted to leave hadn't really settled well with him, and to top it off, Ford was keeping her contained in that bunker in the woods. He hadn't been allowed down since she'd been brought down there, but when he and the others had found it earlier that summer, it hadn't been exactly what you'd call "clean" or "safe".

But he kept his opinions to himself. Though Mabel was constantly pouting or writing "I'm Sorry" letters to Alane, which she'd always throw away, they tried not to talk too much about it all. Too much stuff had happened, even if things were boring now, and Dipper would rather keep his feelings to himself, in case Mabel devised some weird, make-shift "rescue" mission for Alane.

Not like she needed rescuing though. It wasn't like she was being kept in a cage or anything. Ford wouldn't do that. Right?

As he rolled all this around his head, Mabel shuffled into the bedroom, head hanging and hair draped over her face. She uttered a similar groan to the one Dipper had only moments before as she shut the door then shuffled to her bed. She fell face-first onto it, landing on a pile of stuffed animals.

"You doing alright?" Dipper asked Mabel as he stared up at the ceiling. A groan answered him.

"You can't just keep pouting, Mabel," Dipper said as he sat up slowly. "There's literally nothing to even pout about."

"Yes there is," came Mabel's muffled voice from the pile of stuffed animals. "One of the best friends I've made this summer is locked up in a bunker because I couldn't mind my own business and now she probably hates me."

"Well, to be fair, she was lying to everyone about being human. So you sorta had a right to invade her personal space," Dipper offered with a crooked smile.

"She was lying, but it wasn't like she had a choice." Mabel sat up with a sigh, pulling the pile of stuffed animals onto her lap. "I had a choice though, Dipper, and if I had just left that book where it was... None of this would be happening."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," was all Dipper could think of saying as his sister stared at the floor forlornly. "Things will work out, you'll see. Ford will find a way to help Alane and then things will go back to normal."

"I hope you're right..." Mabel muttered.

 _I hope I'm right, too,_ Dipper thought.

The two of them elapsed into a long silence, broken only by a branch scratching at the window in the wind. Dipper was opening his mouth to speak again when suddenly the entire shack shuddered and there was a loud noise from downstairs.

"Whoa, Poindexter! What's the matter?" Came Stan's harsh voice as the two twins scrambled off their beds and out of the room. Dipper nearly tripped over his feet going down the stairs.

"Alane woke up for a bit- quick, where do you keep the spare blankets?"

"Spare blankets? Does this look like a hotel, Ford? The only ones we got are on the beds. Why do you need them anyway?"

Dipper and Mabel both jumped to the floor from the third step up on the stairs, rushing towards the front door were Stan and Ford were.

Ford looked flustered, his clothes rumpled as if he'd been sleeping as he was. That is, if he'd even been sleeping. He had dark bags under his eyes, much like the ones Dipper got after many sleepless nights.

Ford quickly walked over to the hall closet, digging through it in search of pillows and blankets. "Alane went back under and I don't think she's doing too great. I need to make her a bed or something so she doesn't have to sleep on the ground."

Mabel narrowed her eyes at Ford. "Where has she been sleeping if she doesn't have a bed?"

He didn't reply, either having not heard his niece or just too preoccupied. "I'll just get the ones from my bed..." He said to himself as the others watched him. He rushed off into the house, returning astonishingly quick before running out the already open door.

Stan stood there watching his brother run back off into the woods, a bundle of blankets in his arms. He gave a huff, either of annoyance or laughter, before turning to the twins. "I need to get back to the shop. I, ah... Know you guys have been worried about Alane, and if she's waking up, then..." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just follow Ford and sneak into that bunker after him, alright? Don't tell him I told you kids to."

Mabel and Dipper grinned at each other. "Thanks, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel said, hugging him.

"Yeah, yeah. Like I said, don't tell him I told you guys to follow him. You know how he wants to keep you guys safe or whatever." He rustled Mabel and Dipper's hair. "But I think you kids will be alright. I mean, we've fought zombies together, and this is just Alane. How much danger could you guys be in?"

Mabel gave Stan a final squeeze before letting him out of the embrace and running out the door. Dipper followed, happy for the adventure but his worry clear on his face.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Three

A groan erupted from Alane as she blinked open her eyes once again.

She wasn't in that cage-thing anymore, that was clear before she'd even been entirely conscious. Now she appeared to be laying on a make-shift cot. The "bedding" looked like cushions from the chairs in the corner of the room, and the pillow was a rolled up tarp.

Alane was no longer in the same room as before, either. Now it looked like she was in the actual lab. It was like the one under the house, but dustier and more things appeared to be broken.

Taking a deep breath, she heaved herself into a sitting position, getting dizzy with lightheadedness for a moment, but it soon passed.

Ford wasn't anywhere in sight. He probably carried her out there then left.

 _Why would he do that?_ She wondered to herself as the memories of what happened flooded back to her. Bill taking over, her fainting, Ford taking her out of the cage-thing... He'd seemed worried then.

But then, why would he be worried about her?

He was probably just afraid his lab rat was sick or something.

She felt shaky as she hoisted herself to her feet, using the wall besides her for support. She still felt tired, but less so than from before. Whatever she'd been shot with must finally be wearing off.

Once she was steady on her feet, she made her way over to the flashing equipment to examine it. She couldn't make sense of any of the dials or lights that covered the machine in front of her. She figured she'd eventually work out their meanings if she put her mind to it, but she wasn't feeling up to it.

Alane wasn't sure how long she'd been out again, hours, another day? No matter how long it'd been, she still felt pretty tired. At least the world wasn't blurry anymore.

After studying the machine for a moment, she looked around the rest of the lab, and her heart skipped a beat. Twenty or so feet away, there was a door leading out of the place.

She rushed over to it but paused before she stepped through, narrowing her eyes. A sound was echoing towards her through the gloom of the next room, but she couldn't quite place it.

Only when she could make out the distinct shape of a person did she realize it was footsteps.

Panic flared through her and she quickly ducked off to the side of the doorway, not knowing where to hide. Moments later, Ford walked into the room, carrying with him a bundle of blankets and a pillow. He walked past her, only stopping when it seemed to occur to him the cot was empty.

The blankets he'd been carrying dropped to the floor as he looked around in front of him wildly. "Alane?" He called out as she slowly began to creep towards the exit.

Ford was frantically searching the few hiding spots at the other end of the lab as she backed out of the room. A joyful smile lit up her face when she was a few feet back, and she turned on the heel of her boot to make a break for it.

Only, she didn't get too far before crashing into two people ahead of her.

She toppled to the floor on top of them with a shrill squeal of surprise. It was dark, but she could tell it was Dipper and Mabel she'd landed on. Wasn't like she knew anyone else that short, besides Candy maybe.

"Alane?" Ford said, appearing in the doorway as she jumped to her feet. The twins stood up as well, brushing dust from their clothes. "Kids? What's going on?"

Alane raised her hand, opening her mouth as if to speak. But, then she just turned on her heel and took off further into the room.

Once again though, she didn't get too far before she was back on the floor. She'd tripped over something in the dark and lost her balance, then Dipper tackled Alane from behind.

"You know what?" She sighed, laying her head on the cold floor. "I surrender. Bring me back to my prison. I don't want to deal with this right now." The numb-to-the-world feeling was fading, but she was just too tired to deal with getting past the three at the moment.

"You're not going to a prison," Ford said, grabbing her hand and hoisting Alane to her feet once Dipper was off of her. "I thought something was wrong, so I set up a temporary bed for you in the lab. Just... Come back in. I want to talk." He glared at the twins. "And you two shouldn't be down here."

"We're not leaving," Mabel said defiantly, crossing her arms. "I want to know what's going on."

Ford pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed loudly. "I don't want to deal with this right now, either. You guys can stay, just don't touch anything."

He turned and dragged Alane back towards the lab and through the door, though not roughly. Dipper and Mabel followed behind in silence. When Ford let go of her arm, she sat down on the cot and huddled up with her knees against her chest. Mabel watched worriedly as Dipper sat on one of the cushion-less seats.

"So Alane," Ford started, crouching down in front of her. "How is it you know Bill Cipher? Did you meet him recently, perhaps you struck a deal with him?"

She uttered a humorless laugh. "Recently? Far from it. Being basically raised by him is closer."

"You... Were raised by Bill?" Ford asked, eyes wide.

"Basically raised by him. He's not my dad or anything, and he only shows up when I bug him or when he feels like it."

"How could you have been raised by Bill? How do you even stand his presence?" Ford asked, his tone rather loud. "Do you even realize what he's put people through? What he's put me, personally, through?"

Alane waved a dismissive hand. "Ford, Bill is like a little kid sometimes. He gets bored, so he seeks people out to strike deals and have a little fun. Any amount of trauma he may have caused you was because of that, or because he felt like getting revenge. May not seem like it, but the triangle really does look out for me, and you did try to kill me, after all."

Ford fell silent, seeming too flustered to get words out. "I don't understand how someone like you could've been raised by someone like that," Mabel murmured, eyeing Alane sideways. "Bill is a monster."

"In case you missed it, Mabel," Alane sighed, resting her head on her knees. "I am too.

"Look, Ford," she continued, turning to the man. "I don't feel comfortable doing experiments. It's how this whole thing started, and I don't think it's how it'll be solved. I honestly feel like it'll just get worse if you begin things again. So, how about you just pause your experiments and you guys let me go? Honestly, I have this under control. The past few days have just been really stressful, what with loosing my diary and the FBI arresting me and then you showing up out of the blue."

"I feel _really_ uncomfortable with the idea of you being in society like this," Dipper muttered, earning a glare from Mabel. "Hey, she said it herself, she shouldn't be around people."

"I thought keeping you down here would be the safest way to go about this, but..." Ford rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm having my doubts. It's been a few days now and I still haven't found anything unusual with the blood samples I took. I'm at a loss."

"You're not _goingthere's nothing wrong with me,_ " Alane said in exasperation. "And is it really so hard to just let me go? You're accomplishing nothing by keeping me down here. Really, you're not."

Ford shook his head. "You're not going anywhere until I figure out how to help you, Alane. I feel personally responsible for your current condition, and it seems wrong to not even try to figure out how to suppress it for you." 

She groaned loudly. "Do I _look_ like I'm suffering or in any sort of agony, besides that which is being caused by my being here? Yes, this is your fault, but no, you don't have to fix it. I can deal with it myself. _I just want to leave._ "

"Why do you want to leave so badly?" Mabel asked quietly.

"Because I don't want to hurt any of you? Because I get too worked up when I'm around people? Because Ford is annoying me and keeping me here against my will?" Alane stood up and rubbed her face tiredly. "Look, there's nothing any of you can do to help me, and that's fine, I can deal with this. But it'd be best if I just left, let you guys continue your lives in peace. I'm really nothing but a burden with a bad temper, and it'd be best if you all just forgot about me."

"And where will you go?" Ford asked slowly.

She threw her arms in the air. "Like I have any idea. Those agents forgot I was here, but they didn't forget I existed. No where is really safe, but everywhere is still safer than being here, for all of us. Odds are I'll just go hide in the woods again."

"Again?" Ford asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, I have an idea," Mabel said, taking a few steps towards Alane. "You just don't want to stay here because of how gross it is and because you think Ford is a." She gave Alane a thumbs down and made a fart noise with her mouth. "Right?"

"Sure, I guess? But there's also the experiments and the threat of me breaking down again."

"Well, how about you just come stay in the shack again?" Mabel said with a little grin. "It'd solve three out of four problems. Plus, you could stay in the attic so Ford can keep his room."

"Hold up," Dipper said, stepping in. "It does solve three problems, but the most important one is still there, Mabel. I don't think you realize she could _kill_ us. It'd be like living in the same house as Bill, but he has a physical form and an even worse temper."

"You're right of course, but I recent that remark," Alane muttered, walking over to the flashing wall of equipment again while the two twins spoke. She noticed her phone and diary were on a table nearby, and quickly pocketed them.

Mabel waved her hand dismissively. "Pssh, you worry too much, bro bro. We'd be fine if Alane stayed with us. I mean, if she started to freak out, all we'd have to do is give her some space. It wouldn't be too hard." A small frown came to her face. "Plus, where else could she go, Dipper? Alane shouldn't live out in the woods, it's just not right when we have a place for her."

"I just don't know..." He trailed off, eyeing Alane as she poked at one of the flashing lights on the wall. "She was raised by Bill, Mabel. How can we even trust her?"

"Think of it this way," Mabel started, grinning. "If she was actually working with Bill, wouldn't she be begging to stay with us to help him or whatever? But she just wants to keep us all out of danger. Does that sound like a dangerous person who you can't trust to you?"

"No, but, Mabel-,"

"No more buts, Dipper." Mabel folded her arms and gave him a pointed glare. "She's had plenty of chances to do things for Bill, like steal your journal or something. But she hasn't done anything but be a friend to us. You need to have a little bit of faith that she's a good person, even if she does know Bill."

Dipper and Mabel had a stare off for a minute before he looked away and sighed heavily. "Fine," he murmured before looking back over at Alane. Ford was trying to get her attention, but she was focused on the wall of machinery. "You can stay with us at the shack, Alane," he said.

"Not happening," she replied, much to his surprise, as she spun on her heel. "I appreciate the offer and general thought, but I can't guarantee your safety if I stay with you guys. Plus, ah, considering my secret is out and it's his house to begin with, you should probably ask Mr. Pines before making the offer in the first place. It's unlikely he wants me living under his roof."

"Correction," Ford said, looking a little annoyed. "It's my house, not Stanley's. And I would be fine with you staying there with us." He paused, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "It's the least I can do, since I can't help you here."

The lab was filled with a thick silence as Ford said this. Everyone looked awkward and uncomfortable, aside from Mabel, who watched Alane hopefully. "Well? Will you stay with us?" She eventually asked.

Another stretch of silence, then Alane quietly began to chuckle to herself. She grew louder though, and was soon wiping away good-natured tears. "There's something wrong with you guys. Really, there is," she said, still laughing a bit. "You've all seen what I become and the damage I can inflict, and yet you still invite me into your home."

"There _must_ be something wrong with us," Dipper muttered.

"Will you please stay with us?" Mabel asked again.

Alane let out a long sigh, then nodded her head. "I can't say no to you, Mabel."

Mabel's face lit up with delight and she bounced on her feet a little. "Well," Ford said, looking down at the discarded blankets on the floor. "So much for bringing these out here."

"I can take them back to the shack," Dipper told him, gathering the blankets up into a bundle with the pillow on top of it.

"Thank you, my boy. Now, you guys go back to the house, I'll shut things off down here." Ford rustled Dipper's hair before turning around and walking out into the room where Alane had originally been kept in. Dipper was smiling happily.

"So..." Alane muttered after a moment. "How do we get out of here?"


	27. Chapter Twenty-Four

It was a good thing she hadn't tried to escape on her own, because the rooms in between the lab and the outside world were full of traps, designed to keep anyone from entering. The genius who built the place, probably Ford, apparently hadn't designed a switch or something to deactivate the traps after you passed them, so they had to work everything out. It was hard, considering Dipper couldn't even help, what with the bundle he carried.

Once outside, Alane breathed a sigh of relief. The crisp smells of the forest filled her nose and brought on a calm she hadn't felt in a very long time.

"The shack is this way," Mabel said, tugging Alane's shirt sleeve to lead her in the correct direction.

"Um, guys?" Dipper muttered from behind as they began to walk away. He was struggling to climb the stairs, unable to see the steps due to the bundle of blankets he carried. "Mind giving me a hand?"

"Allow me." Alane turned back around and walked over to him. She walked down the first few steps and stopped when she was directly in front of Dipper. She waved over the bundle to let him know she was there, then gingerly took them from him and walked back up the stairs.

Once on the ground again, Alane rolled the bundle up more tightly and tucked the pillow inside of it, then put it under her arm to carry with more ease. "So," Mabel started slowly once Alane was walking back at her side. Dipper came up on the other side of Mabel, face angled towards the path but clearly watching the two. "If you're not human, then what are you?"

Alane shrugged with her free arm. "Beats me. Neither I nor Bill could ever figure it out, and Ford couldn't either back in college. It'll probably be a mystery forever."

"Must be awful, not knowing what you are, where you come from..." Mabel sighed, then quickly perked up. "So, Ford was telling us about a few of your powers the other day after you, uh, you know."

"Is that so?" Alane raised an eyebrow questioningly as she hopped over a log in the path.

Dipper skirted the log as Mabel climbed over it. "Yeah, he said something about you being super strong and a shape-shifter and stuff."

"And let me guess," Alane chuckled. "You want me to show you all I can do?"

Mabel's eyes lit up. "Can you read minds, too?"

She laughed again. "Nah, I just figured that was what you were getting at. I suppose I can show you guys everything back at the shack. Within reason, of course. Don't want anyone getting hurt by mistake."

"So Alane," Dipper said after a silence fell between the three, his hands pressed together in a contemplating gesture. "I'm aright with you staying with us, but I need to know some things."

"Like what?" Alane asked, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

"Like what did you mean when you said you were raised by Bill?" He said, ignoring the glare he got from Mabel. "And is there anything else you're not telling us?"

Alane sighed. "You ask a lot of similar questions, kid. Bill this, Bill that, seems like you never stop thinking about him." Dipper's face reddened a bit. "But I'll be straight with you. I was abandoned as a baby, and Bill took me in. He cared for me until I could think for myself, then I was on my own for the most part. He'd show up every now and then to offer advice or criticize my choices, but he made sure to not be around all the time. He didn't want me getting the impression he was my dad or whatever.

"Basically, raised by him is a little much," she said, glancing over at the others. "Yes, I look up to him and trust him, and I owe Bill my life for more than one occasion where he's saved it. But he didn't help me more than he had to, and he didn't plant ideas of evil and chaos in my head if that's what you're worried about.

"And I'm telling you all this," she continued, looking up at the path ahead, her gaze distant. "Because no, I'm not keeping anything else from you guys. I didn't want to lie to begin with, but until now it's been necessary. From here on out though, I'm going to be an open book." 

"And we won't keep secrets from you either, right, Dipper?" Mabel said, turning to her brother.

"Yeah, sure," he muttered with a shrug.

The three walked in silence for awhile, illuminated by the retreating light of sunset. It was actually getting a bit chilly, and the breeze wasn't helping with it.

The Mystery Shack eventually came into view, and the three of them stepped off the path and headed up to the porch. Mabel was just pushing open the door when Ford walked over from the direction of the path. He looked a little winded, as if he'd ran to catch up to them.

Dipper waited outside to greet him, but Mabel and Alane went ahead in. After Alane disposed of Ford's blankets and pillow in his bedroom, she grabbed her bag, which was still just inside the front door, and headed up the stairs to the attic, where Mabel was waiting.

"We don't really have any spare beds," Mabel apologized sheepishly. "But we can make you a cot on the floor?"

"That could work," Alane said evenly as she looked around the room. Something caught her eye though, and a grin broke out on her face. "Or I can sleep up there?" She pointed up to the loft to the left of the door. Boards nailed in the wall created a make-shift ladder up to it, and the entire platform was covered with boxes.

Mabel giggled. "You can't sleep up there, it's covered with junk."

"Junk can be moved," Alane said, walking over so she was standing in front of the ladder. "Besides, up there would work better, I think. You and Dipper wouldn't notice me so much, and neither of you would be stepping on me when you get up in the morning."

"You've got a good point," Mabel offered, walking up besides her. "But how will we get that stuff down?"

Alane was about to speak, but a sudden pound of footsteps filled the attic, and Dipper entered the room, followed closely by Ford and Stan.

"Hey guys," Mabel greeted with a grin. "We were just about to get Alane's place made up. Mind if we move some of the boxes off the loft?"

"Why do you want to stay on the loft?" Ford asked in confusion.

Alane gave them a helpless "I dunno" look and shrugged. "So I can look down on everyone? I'm joking," Alane grinned at the look that'd come to Dipper's face. "We just figured it'd be better, because if I'm on the floor, I'm bound to be stepped on, and I hear Dipper paces a lot when he's thinking."

"You've got a good point," Stan said, sounding just like Mabel. "Anyway, just wanted to make sure you're not gonna freak out or whatever if you're staying with us. I don't want to have to replace another door."

"No freaking out, I promise," Alane said, crossing her heart.

"Alright." Stan walked from the room. "You nerds have fun cleaning up boxes."

"Do you two need any help?" Dipper asked, eyeing the loft warily.

"I don't think you'd be much help, Dipper," Mabel said, playfully elbowing him in the side. "This is a job for people with muscles!"

"I think we can handle this," Alane said with a grin at Mabel, then looked over at Ford, who was looking very awkward. "But first, Sixer, mind if we talk real quick? Outside?"

Ford raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Yes, I guess so?"

Alane walked past him and towards the door, glancing over at Mabel. "I'll just be a minute. Don't start without me, alright?" She grinned, then walked out of the room.

She closed the door once Ford was out in the space outside of the room. "What is it?" Ford asked, confused as to why she wanted to speak with him.

Crossing her arms, she eyed Ford, a hint of annoyance in her eyes. "Now that you're done with me-related research, do you have any more work to do in your labs?"

"Well, I still need to clean up after the portal and disassemble what remains of it, upon other things. Why do you ask?"

"Because Dipper really wants to hang out with you," Alane said with a sigh, dropping her arms to her sides. "Can't you tell? I mean, he almost threw up when he realized who you were. Just... Do me a favor, alright? Spend some time with the kid, answer questions, humor him, do whatever. Maybe even put him to work in your lab? He really looks up to you, and I know he'd appreciate it if you hung out with him for a bit."

"I feel uncomfortable involving the kids with my work, but... I'll see what I can do," Ford said, then added after a pause, "But why are you bringing this up now? Why not earlier?"

"I had a lot on my plate before now," Alane said with a shrug. "And honestly, I thought you would've noticed by now how badly he wanted to speak with you. I just thought I'd inform you of your blindness before Mabel and I tackled our project."

"Oh, speaking of which, are you sure you don't need any help?"

"We can manage. Just go spend some time with your nephew. Don't worry about us."

 

Dust billowed about the room and the two girls coughed harshly, fanning it away from their faces. "When was the last time this place was cleaned out?" Mabel muttered, moving the box Alane had just dropped to the floor out of the way.

"I don't know. Stan doesn't really seem like the kind of guy to do spring cleaning," Alane replied, coughing once more. The dust was even worse up on the loft.

"You know, there's some pretty interesting things in these boxes," Mabel said as Alane began to shift another object from the pile. "Lots of nerd stuff mostly, Dipper will probably want to look through that stuff. But then there's stuff like this..." Alane glanced down at Mabel, who held an old, framed photo of Stan and Ford. Mabel sighed heavily. "I wish they'd make up."

"What's up between the two of them, anyway?" Alane asked, pushing back the large box on top of the one she was trying to move so it wouldn't fall on her. "I sort of missed their explanation in the lab."

"Ford thinks Stan messed up a machine that would have gotten him into his dream school," Mabel said quietly, setting down the picture. "Plus the fight they had before Ford went through the portal."

"Seems silly to stay angry over all that for so long," Alane commented, finally managing to pry the box free. "Siblings fight, and things break. They really should make up." Alane glanced down at Mabel. "Another box coming. Stand clear, this one's heavy."

Mabel stood up and walked a few steps to the side as Alane shifted position so her back was facing Mabel. She then bent backwards, hanging over the platform by her legs. Alane then lowered the box down and dropped it the short distance to the floor. Even from only a little over a foot from the ground, the sound the box made upon impact was so loud, the two were surprised it didn't break through the floor. 

Grinning at Alane, Mabel walked over to the box and began to slowly move it over against the wall. "What's in this, rocks?" She mumbled, pausing to look at the box for writing of any kind. On the top, she found Ford's curly writing, which read "Childhood rock collection".

"Ford always has been a dork," Alane laughed as Mabel muttered to herself. "I've never met a grown man who still has his old rock collection before."

Alane began to move the next box as Mabel pushed the rocks up against the wall. "Hey," Mabel said, brushing off her hands before walking back over. "Speaking of Ford, why did you want to talk to him?"

"Just needed to insult him real quick," Alane said with a dismissive wave. "He'll get too headstrong if you don't knock him down a level or two every now and then. Oh, and I told him to hang out with your brother." Before Mabel could reply to that, Alane quickly pulled a box towards her and opened it up. "Oh, would you look at that," she said, then pulled out a pillow. "A box full of pillows and blankets. Perfect."

"Looks like we have something for your bed now," Mabel said happily with a grin. Alane got the feeling she was grinning about her telling Ford to hang out with Dipper, rather than the newly discovered bedding.


	28. Chapter Twenty-Five

"I think we're done here, Dipper," Ford said, hands behind his back as he surveyed the lab. Dipper beamed up at him happily before looking around as well.

Ford had surprised him by asking for his help in the lab below the shack. Up until now, he'd assumed Ford thought of him as a pesky little kid. Guess he'd been wrong.

The two of them together had managed to clear away the majority of the debris. Meaning Ford did most of the heavy lifting and he cleared the small stuff, leaving nothing but the ruined machine, which Ford said he'd take care of later. It'd taken a few hours at least, and was probably well into the night now.

"So, what's next?" Dipper asked, looking back up at Ford. He was bone tired and covered with scratches and dirt, but he didn't want to stop working until he'd done everything Ford wanted him to.

Ford looked down at him then smiled after a moment. "That's all the work for today, my boy. But, now, there's something I'd like to show you. That is, if you can keep a secret."

Eyes wide, Dipper nodded quickly. "What is it you want to show me?"

Walking past him and back into the main room of the lab, Ford motioned for Dipper to follow him. He did quickly, and once he was in the same room, Ford opened up a compartment on the desk and withdrew a strange object. It was like a glass ball on a metal stand, but inside of it was a swirling mess the color of the night sky.

"What is that?" Dipper asked breathlessly, unable to take his eyes off of it.

"This is a rift in our universe, created when Stan reactivated the portal," Ford said, setting the object down on the desk. "It's why I was so angry at him for using it. He brought me back, but created this in the process. I managed to create this device while with Alane in the other lab to contain it. It'll hold it, and in the meantime I'll be able to repair any other damage it or the portal caused while I figure out what to do with it."

Dipper managed to tear his gaze from the swirling mess, looking up at Ford. "But, why are you showing it to me?" He asked.

"I know Alane trusts the creature known as Bill," Ford sighed, taking the rift and putting it back in the compartment. "But I've dealt with him before, and I know that he'd do anything to get his hands on this, and his reasons are frightening to say the least.

"I'm showing you, Dipper, because I need you're help," Ford said, kneeling down and resting a hand on Dipper's shoulder. "There's very few people we can trust in Gravity Falls, but I know that I can't keep this safe on my own. So I'm giving you a very important task. If anything is to ever happen to me, if one day I just vanish, you need to hide the rift somewhere no one will ever find it, the safest place you can think of. And you can't tell anyone about it, either. That is exists, that you've seen it, nothing."

"Can I at least tell Mabel?" He asked after a moment. "We tell each other everything. I just... I don't know if I'd be alright with keeping something this big from her."

"You can't tell your sister," Ford said solemnly with a shake of his head. "Not Stan either, and definitely not Alane. I can't trust any of them not to let it slip that we have the rift. But I can count on you, right, Dipper?"

Dipper was silent for a moment as he considered this. Eventually, he sighed and nodded his head. "You can trust me, Great Uncle Ford. I won't tell anyone."

 

Only after leaving the lab and getting cleaned up, did Dipper realize it was way past dinnertime. He found Stan sitting on his couch in front of the TV, laughing at babies fighting, and the kitchen reasonably clean. His stomach was growling though, so he made himself a quick sandwich before heading upstairs.

"Hey, Mabel! You'll never guess what-," Dipper said through a mouthful as he threw open the bedroom door. He stopped in surprise, swallowing before saying, "whoa."

Alane was climbing down from the loft, which had no boxes left on it, was cleaned and actually had a nice looking bed. Mabel stood directly below it, moving a final box into place on the pile they'd made under the platform. Somehow, the two had gotten the pile perfectly square.

"Oh, hi, Dipper!" Mabel said happily, shoving the box into place before running over to her brother. "You like it?"

"Yeah, but." He looked around the room in confusion. "What happened to the giant chess piece that was under the loft?"

"We shrunk it down using that shrink ray thing you made," Mabel replied happily, pulling the piece from her pocket and tossing it to him. He caught it awkwardly with his left hand, nearly dropping it onto the floor.

"And the roof and platform? That thing went right through them!"

"I'm pretty darn good with a hammer," Alane replied, twirling a hammer in her hand before putting it in one of the holes for a belt on her jeans. She reminded him of Wendy at that moment, which caused him to blush. She apparently didn't notice though, as she just walked over to the cube of boxes to examine it. "We used some spare wood we found to patch everything up. So if you were working on a project and lost you're supplies or something... Sorry 'bout that."

"Where'd you guys get the mattress?" Dipper asked.

Mabel grinned. "We found a box full of blankets and pillows. That's just all the pillows wrapped up with a sheet so it _looks_ like a mattress."

"Ingenious," Dipper said with a grin before taking another bite of his sandwich.

"So, what were you going to say when you came in?" Mabel asked.

"Oh, right!" Dipper exclaimed, eating the last bite of his sandwich before brushing his hands off on his pants. "Ford asked me to help him in his lab! We cleaned up the portal and everything, then." He paused, then shook his head. _Nope, can't tell them that bit._ "Actually, that was it. But he still asked for my help!"

"That's awesome, bro bro!" Mabel said cheerfully, glancing over at Alane before punching Dipper's shoulder playfully. "It's cool that you got to hang out with Ford finally."

"Yeah." He grinned, rubbing his shoulder. "Maybe I'll be able to convince him to play a game of Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons with me sometime."

Alane perked up, looking over at him. "Oh, no no no no no, you don't want to get a game of that started with him," she said seriously. "I played it with him once in college. Trust me, you'll end up playing for weeks if you even mention it around him. He get's obsessed with it."

"I'll keep that in mind," Dipper said, though dismissed what she'd just told him. "Anyway, are you going to show us your powers and stuff tonight? Or is it too late?"

"Well..." Alane looked over at the window. The full moon shone brightly high up in the sky. "I suppose I _could..._ But let's stay inside, I'm not a fan of being outside at night."

"Considering we're in Gravity Falls, that's completely understandable," Dipper said, walking over and sitting down on his bed. Mabel ran over and sat besides him, grinning. "So, what all can you do exactly?"

Right before their eyes, Alane changed her shape, earning a gasp from them both. "Well now," Alane said, now looking and sounding like Ford. She walked over to them, hands behind her back as Ford so often held them. "There's a wide variety of supernatural abilities which I possess, which would be, overall, easier to show you rather than list them and give their individual definitions."

"Ha, she's doing Ford," Mabel laughed, pointing at Alane after nudging Dipper in the side. "Do me next!"

"As you wish," Alane said, momentarily switching to her voice as she changed her form into that of Mabel. Within the blink of an eye, Alane was standing there as Mabel, a look of triumph on her face and her fists on her hips. "Boop," she said in Mabel's voice, pressing a light bulb on the sweater she wore, causing it to turn on but keeping the same expression the entire time.

"So you can just take any shape you want?" Dipper asked as Mabel squealed, kicking her legs against his bed.

"Well," Alane said, still in Mabel's voice, then held out her hands. "I can change anything, and into anything, but for the tattoos. They always look like this, no matter the form."

Dipper breathed a sigh of relief. He was freaked out at the idea of Alane being able to pretend to be other people, with no way of telling her apart from the original. Thank goodness for the tattoos.

"What else can you do?" Mabel asked excitedly.

Alane paused a moment to change back into her self, then put her hand to her face as she considered this. "I'm really strong?" She offered. "I also don't tire easily and can remember virtually anything. I'm also, not to brag, a genius and can master any skill I put my mind to within seconds. Oh, and I'm a good judge of character, but I don't really consider that a power. And I can heal myself, but only to an extent."

"Can you do anything more... Exciting?" Mabel asked with a crooked grin.

Alane began to shake her head, then paused. "Well, I can do this?" She offered, holding out a hand and snapping her fingers. Above her hand, a small glowing ball of light appeared, dazzling the twins. "Not very useful, unless I want a light to read by at night or something."

"Interesting..." Dipper commented quietly, eyeing the ball of light. "And how strong exactly are you?"

"Well..." She looked around the room then back at the twins. "There's nothing in here that wouldn't break if I tried to demonstrate, so let's just go with being able to lift Stan and Ford with one hand. While hanging off a cliff. With a monster trying to knock me off." She let the light vanish then gave them a shrug.

"Could you show us some of the other things you can do, then?" Dipper asked evenly. "Like your memory. What's the first thing you remember? What year was it?"

"Uh," Alane rubbed her neck awkwardly. "First thing? Waking up in the woods where I was camped out. I was about nine at the time, so the date would be around 12,001 BC. Really nothing too interesting for a first memory."

 _Nine is pretty late for a first memory,_ Dipper thought to himself before asking: "How about a different memory, then?"

Alane fell silent as she thought this over, and Mabel chose that second to clap her hands together before smiling at the two in turn. "Actually, I think that's enough for the night. I don't know about you guys, but I'm exhausted. Why don't we all turn in, and pick this up tomorrow? Tomorrow feels like it'll be a good day."

Dipper sighed. "Yeah, it is pretty late. Maybe that'd be best."

Alane seemed a bit relieved to be putting this off. "Alright then, tomorrow it is. Maybe I'll throw a few cars around for you guys or something?" She said jokingly.

Mabel laughed at Alane's comment before leaving to brush her teeth, where as Dipper chuckled nervously. He seriously hoped she wouldn't actually be throwing cars around.

He was about to leave the room when Alane walked over to her loft. Surprisingly, rather than using the ladder, she grabbed the platform then flipped herself up. "Whoa," Dipper muttered.

Alane grinned before flopping onto the bed of pillows. "I was an amateur Olympic gymnast for awhile," she said while looking up at the ceiling, then she glanced over at him. "Night, Dipstick."

"Good night," he said awkwardly before leaving the room to get ready for bed.


	29. Chapter Twenty-Six

"So, just board games today? No monster hunts? No weird, magical stuff? No, I don't know, bedazzling wars?" Alane asked with a tilt of her head.

"Hey, even we have to take a break and be normal _sometimes,_ " Mabel said with a grin

Alane stood outside of a hall closet with Dipper and Mabel. It was fairly early in the morning, but the twins had insisted that they play a board game. Well, Mabel insisted on it. Dipper seemed indifferent about having her there.

"Alright, Grunkle Stan's gotta have _some_ decent board games," he muttered as he scanned over the piles of old games.

"Let's see, 'Battlechutes & Ladderships', 'Necronomiconopoly', 'Don't Wake Stalin'..." Mabel trailed off after having read the game titles.

Dipper reached into the closet and pulled out a very old board game. Blowing the dust off the top, he read it then looked at the others. "How about this? 'What Could Go Wrong: The Board Game. The last players who opened this box never made it out alive.'"

There was a short pause, then Mabel said: "Well, I know what we're doing today."

"Sounds like a fun game," Alane chimed in.

A second later, however, Ford's voice echoed through the house. "Family meeting! Family meeting!" He called.

"Since when were 'family meetings' an actual thing?" Alane murmured as the twins glanced at each other in confusion.

"We'd better go see what he needs," Mabel said.

Alane waved them off. "No, just you guys. I'm not really a family member. I'll just stay here and read over the rules for this game." She ended by holding out her hand towards Dipper, who gave her the box.

Mabel looked like she was about to protest, but Dipper just shrugged before grabbing her arm and pulling her down the hall, towards where Ford's voice had come from.

 

Dipper and Mabel found Ford sitting in the tiny dining room. He had a bag and multiple old scrolls, and was reading a book. The two were walking towards him when he realized they were there, and he turned to them with a welcoming smile before saying, "Ah, children. Come in, come in!"

Mabel sat down on one of the seats, then noticed his old bag. "Ooh, mysterious scrolls and potions! Are you going to tell us we're finally of age to go to wizard school?" She began to rummage around the bag. "Is there an owl in this bag?"

Ford quickly closed the bag. "No! I can assure you if there's an owl in this bag, he's long dead." Mabel pouted as she sat back down. "Now, children, do either of you recognize _this_ symbol?" Ford asked, unrolling a scroll, upon which was a drawing of Bill Chiper and some hieroglyphs.

The two twins gasped, and with his voice full of dread, Dipper muttered, "Bill."

"You... you know him?" Ford asked in surprise.

" _Know_ him? He's been terrorizing us all summer! I have so many questions and theories..." Dipper trailed off.

"Dipper's been pretty paranoid since Bill turned him into a living sock puppet," Mabel informed Ford.

"The important thing is we defeated him twice."

"Once with kittens and once with tickles!"

"It was a lot more heroic than it sounds," Dipper muttered.

"The fact that you've dealt with Bill is gravely serious," Ford said.

Dipper tilted his head slightly "So, how do _you_ know Bill?" He asked him.

"I've encountered many dark beings in my time, Dipper. What matters is that his powers are growing stronger, and if he pulls off his plans, no one in this family will be safe!" He paused. "I know Alane trusts him, but we still must be prepared for the worst. Fortunately, there should be a way to shield us from his mental tricks. A way to Bill-proof the shack."

Ford pulled out a map of the shack and began to draw on it. "All I have to do is place moonstones here, here, and here, sprinkle some mercury, let's see... I always forget the last ingredient!" He paused to flip through the first of his journals, then let out a groan. "Unicorn hair."

"That's not, like, rare, is it?" Dipper asked.

"It's hopeless." He looked over the entry about unicorns in the journal. "Unicorns reside deep within an enchanted glade, and their hairs can only be obtained by a pure good-hearted person who goes on a magical quest to find them."

Mabel let out a shrill screech. "Grunkle Ford, can I _please_ go on this quest? I am literally obsessed with unicorns! My first word was 'unicorn', I once made my own unicorn by taping a traffic cone to a horse's head..." She trailed off, remembering how she'd been banned from the zoo, but quickly continued. "Are you even looking at the sweater I'm wearing right now?!" She just happened to be wearing a sweater with a unicorn on it.

"Not to mention that I'm _probably_ the most pure of heart person in this room," she added when the two looked doubtful.

"That's true, she has a point."

"I can't argue there."

"So can I go on a mission to get that hair? Please please please? I'll give you my blood!" 

"Very well, but it won't be easy. Take this." He passed Mabel the journal, and after a second gave her a crossbow as well. "And this."

"Oooh," Mabel said, eyeing the crossbow.

"I haven't been in this dimension for a while. It's okay to give children weapons, right?" Ford asked no one in particular.

"Pssh, come on, dawg," Mabel said with a grin, accidentally shooting the crossbow. The arrow went straight through a nearby window, shattering the glass.

She grinned sheepishly before pulling out her phone and running off. "Candy, Grenda, Wendy, clear the afternoon!" She yelled into it, running back down the hall towards Alane.

"So, what are the odds she gets that hair?"

"Unlikely. I've dealt with unicorns before, and if I had to describe them in one word it would be... Frustrating," Ford muttered.

"So, what are we gonna do about Bill?"

"Follow me," Ford told him before walking out of the room. Dipper hesitated only a moment before running after him.

Ford led Dipper through the shack until they came out into the gift shop. After turning the shop's sign to "closed", Dipper followed Ford down the stairs behind the vending machine, where they entered the elevator. Rather than going to the lab, they only went down one floor, and emerged in a room entirely new to Dipper.

The room was pretty large, though not as much so as the lab. There were tarps over everything but a large computer screen at the far end of the room, and a thick layer of dust on the floor.

"Welcome to my private study, a place where I keep my most ancient and secret knowledge. Even your uncle Stan doesn't know about this place." Dipper paused to examine one of the covered objects, but Ford noticed and beckoned him instead. "Dipper, come along! If we can't Bill-proof the shack, we're going to have to do the next best thing."

Ford walked over to a desk near the computer and lifted up a metal helmet. "We're gonna have to Bill-proof our minds."


	30. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Mabel, Candy, Grenda, Wendy and Alane tramped through the thick foliage of the forest. There was no direct path to where they needed to go, so they had to make their own. 

After the Pines' "family meeting," Mabel had gone back to Alane to tell her about their quest to get unicorn hair for Ford. She didn't say why they needed it, but Alane didn't even think of asking, glad to be doing something more interesting than playing a board game. She'd gone over the instructions for the game Dipper found, and it honestly sounded more creepy than fun.

"It's nice to finally be out on a mission, just us gals!" Mabel said cheerfully.

"Forget the gal talk! I'm here to meet, touch, and-or become a unicorn!" Grenda declared.

"I hear if you lick a unicorn's neck, it tastes like your favorite flavor in the world!" Candy said happily.

"Candy, I will make _sure_ you lick that unicorn's neck, because I care about my friends," Mabel said seriously.

Wendy huffed. "Honestly, I stopped believing in unicorns when I was like, five years old. I'm just coming along to keep you kids from walking into a bear trap," she muttered.

"I'm interested to see if these things actually exist," Alane said thoughtfully as they neared a clearing.

The five of them stepped out into the clearing, and Mabel quickly held out an arm. "Stop! This is the magic part of the forest." She flipped through the journal until she located the unicorns' page. "Let's see, the gnome tavern is over there, the fairy nail salon is over there, but it says that to summon the unicorn, one must bellow this ancient chant droned only by the deepest-voiced druids of old."

Grenda rushed past Mabel, grabbing the journal. "On it!" She said, then read the book as she bellowed, "Oy-oyoy-oyoyoyoy..."

"Bet you ten bucks nothing happens," Wendy told Mabel.

Mabel grinned. "I'll take that bet."

Not even a second later, a fortress rose out of the ground, dirt and plants falling off of it's walls. The five of them stared at it for a moment, awed, before walking up to the gate and entering. Alane couldn't help but wonder _how_ Ford had discovered you had to chant to summon the fortress. She pictured him running through the forest, chanting random things to see if anything happened. She grinned to herself, realizing that it was something Ford actually would've done.

The five let out a collective gasp as they saw the inside of the fortress. "The paintings airbrushed on the sides of vans were true!" Mabel exclaimed.

Before them was a large waterfall and grass an unnaturally bright color of green. Butterflies were everywhere, as were small creatures and a faun playing a pan flute. A rainbow stretched across the pond the waterfall spilled into, going right over a unicorn who stood with a hoof up on a rock, whom neighed when they entered.

"Mother of mothers!" Grenda said.

"Queen of dreams!" Candy exclaimed.

"No way," Wendy muttered.

Alane just stood there eyeing the unicorn uncertainly.

"Eh, eh," Mabel said, making a grabbing motion with her hand at Wendy. Wendy sighed, handing her ten dollars.

"Hark! Visitors to my realm of enchantment!" The unicorn said, their horn flaring pink but mouth not moving.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! What is your name?" Mabel asked in excitement.

"I am Celestabellebethabelle, last of my kind. Come in, come in. Just, take off your shoes. I have a whole thing about shoes," she replied, motioning for them all to enter.

Candy, Grenda and Mabel all took off their shoes, where as Wendy and Alane just stood there looking at each other sideways before walking after the kids.

"Ah, ah! I'm talking to everyone!" Celestabellebethabelle said. Grumbling, the two took their shoes off before walking over to where the others now stood.

Mabel walked up in front of the unicorn, her eyes pleading. "Celestabellebethabelle, we have journeyed far and wide-"

"About an hour!" Grenda chimed in.

"-On a mission to protect our family with your magical hair!"

 _Wait a second,_ Alane thought, eyes narrowed. Candy was trying to lick the unicorn's neck, but the unicorn stepped away from her. _Protect their family from what? Me? Why would they invite me back, only to do that?_ She wondered.

"Very well," Celestabellebethabelle said. "To receive a lock of my enchanted hair, step forth, girl of pure, perfect heart."

"Presenting: bum buh da bum bum ba bum bum!" Mabel knelt down in front of her and held out her arms. "Mabel!"

Alane and the others were smiling at Mabel, but they all let out shocked gasps a moment later. Celestabellebethabelle had bent down to inspect Mabel, only to rear back in alarm. "What? You? A unicorn can see deep inside your heart, child," she said, pointing at Mabel's chest which started to glow with a red heart. "And you have done wrong. Wrong I say!"

"I guess I do make fun of Dipper a lot. And I _did_ just shatter a window with a crossbow," Mabel murmured worriedly as she straightened herself up.

"Your bad deeds make me _cry,_ " Celestabellebethabelle said, eyes welling up. A tear ran down her fur, falling from her face and landing on a small flower below her. The flower proceeded to then wither and die, earning a gasp of alarm from Mabel.

"No!" Mabel cried, stepping back.

"Come back when you're pure of heart!" Celestabellebethabelle neighed loudly, rearing onto her hind legs for a moment. Once she was on all fours again, she looked around at everyone as they began to slowly walk away. "Exit is that way. Shoes, shoes, take your shoes. This isn't some... Some... Shoe store."

Alane grabbed her shoes, exiting the fortress last with a final glance at the unicorn. "Something isn't right here," she muttered as the gates closed with a bang.

"Hey, Mabel, don't let her get to you," Grenda said comfortingly.

"Yeah, I wouldn't trust a horse that wears makeup," Wendy chimed in.

"No, girls, she's right. I used to be one of the sweetest people I knew, but recently I've been slacking in the whole goodness department. Well, today we're gonna fix it. From this moment forth I'm gonna do so many good deeds, I'll have the purest heart in Gravity Falls!" Mabel declared, about to punch the air with her fist.

Alane kept Mabel from completing the action, however, stopping the girl's hand with her own. Mabel looked at her questioningly just as a low flying bird flew directly above the space Mabel had been about to punch.

"Thanks," Mabel told her with a crooked smile.

"Hey, not like I'm just gonna let you punch a bird," Alane replied with a matching grin. "Now, what do you have in mind for these good deeds?"

 

Meanwhile, as Mabel began to tell the others her plan, Ford was just finishing setting up the machine in his secret room. He placed the helmet on Dipper and it clamped tight on his head.

"So what is Bill, exactly?" Dipper asked as he picked up a file labeled 'Cipher File' and began to read it.

"No one knows for sure. Accounts differ of his true motivations and origins. I know he's older than our galaxy and far more twisted. Without a physical form, he can only project himself into our thoughts through the mindscape. That's why he wants this." He held up the rift he'd shown Dipper before in the lab. "We dismantled the portal, but with this, Bill has a way into our reality. To get his hands on this rift, he would trick or possess anyone."

"So how do we keep Bill out of our minds?" _And keep Alane from knowing about what we're doing?_ He added to himself.

"Well, there's a number of ways. I personally had a metal plate installed in my head."

Dipper chuckled. "Good one."

Ford looked at him sideways before knocking on his own head, which made a metallic sound.

Dipper cleared his throat awkwardly.

"But this machine is safer. It will scan your mind, bioelectrically encrypting your thoughts so that Bill can't read them." He paused to turn around and switch on the machine. "Now, say hello to your thoughts."

Words began to flash across the screen, then Dipper's own voice came from the speakers. "Oh, man, I can't believe I'm with the author!" It said. "I feel like Alane is still hiding stuff from us. Maybe I should look through her diary again?" "Disco girl, coming through..." "Wendy Wendy Wendy Wendy Wendy."

"You might wanna... Ignore that last one," Dipper muttered. "By the way, you never told me what your history with Bill was."

Rather than answering the question, Ford looked at him. "Dipper, do you trust me?" He asked.

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Then you'll trust that that's not important," he said hurriedly before looking up at the computer screen. "Now, focus. It's time to strengthen your mind." And with that, he pressed a button and the machine began to encrypt Dipper's thoughts.


	31. Chapter Twenty-Eight

The second Alane and the others left the "enchanted part of the forest," they and Mabel got right to work on the good deeds. Together, they picked up snails from the sidewalk and put them back on plants, helped a woman with her groceries, planted a few trees, stopped traffic for ducks to cross the road, and Mabel donated so much blood to the hospital that she actually fainted for a little while. And that wasn't even the half of it.

It was late afternoon now and everyone was gathered around Mabel, who held a checklist of everything they'd done. "Boom! A thousand good deeds!"

Everyone cheered loudly, aside from Alane, who offered a happy smile instead.

Mabel looked around at the others excitedly before saying, "When that unicorn scans my heart, she's gonna say I'm absolutely, one hundred percent, bona fide-"

"Not pure of heart."

"Booyah! Wait, what?" Mabel asked in shock.

They'd rushed back through the forest as quickly as possible and now all stood in the fortress again. Mabel was standing before Celestabellebethabelle, having presented herself in front of the unicorn once more.

"How is that even possible? Mabel's a straight up saint, you judgmental hoofbag!" Wendy said angrily.

"Please, tell me what I'm doing wrong!" Mabel begged, falling to her knees.

"Doing good deeds to make yourself look better isn't good at all. Not to mention you're crushing, like, ten dandelions right now. Those are basically children's dreams," the unicorn replied, eyeing the flowers Mabel was crushing.

Mabel stood up quickly. Once she was standing again, Celestabellebethabelle tilted her head and, with a smug grin said, "I'm sorry, Mabel. It's not my fault you're a bad person."

That was it for Mabel. Her eyes welled up and, with a choked sob, she took off out of the fortress. "Mabel, wait! Come back!" Wendy yelled, but was ignored.

"Now if you'll excuse me," Celestabellebethabelle said, turning around. "I have a three o'clock posing in front of a rainbow." Everyone was already taking off after Mabel as Celestabellebethabelle hopped up onto a rock in front of the rainbow to pose.

"Wait up, Mabel!" Grenda called, she and Candy right behind Wendy as they entered the forest.

Alane had been running after everyone, but was slowing down as she entered the foliage. Her movements were shaky and she felt cold, even under the hot summer sun.

 _That stupid unicorn doesn't know what she's talking about,_ Alane thought to herself with a huff, anger boiling up inside of her. _She's clearly only trying to make Mabel upset- which she's just gone and done, too! Someone really needs to teach that horse a lesson._

Alane stumbled out of the thicker part of the forest, spotting the others up ahead. They were crowded around Mabel, who was laying on the ground by a stream. The sight seemed to break something inside of her and she clenched her fists in rage.

With a huff, Alane turned on her heal and walked back through the forest, towards the fortress, brushing a strand of black hair out of her face as she went.

 

It'd been a few hours, but Dipper was still sitting in that chair with the helmet on. The screen said the process was only at fifteen percent so far and he felt like it'd never be over. Ford had fallen asleep before it had even reached ten percent, and now had his face pressed up against the desk he'd been sitting at and was snoring quietly.

"Ugh, this is taking forever. How long have I been doing this for?" He looked over at Ford. "Why does he have to be so mysterious about Bill? I can handle the truth."

From behind him, the screen began to flash with Dipper's thoughts as the speakers voiced them. "I wonder what Great Uncle Ford is thinking," it said. "Use the machine! It'll show you his thoughts!"

"I really shouldn't..." He murmured. 

"He won't know. He's going to tell you eventually. The more you know about Bill, the more you can help," the machine responded.

"Man, I'm really good at rationalizing," Dipper said with a grin.

"Yes, you are; yes, you are; yes, you are; yes, you are," echoed the machine. 

Dipper slid off the chair, slowly taking the helmet off as he did before walking over to Ford. He paused, overcome by indecision for a moment before giving a determined huff. "Just a little peek. What are you hiding about Bill?" He murmured, placing the helmet on Ford's head.

The screen began to emit a buzzing sound as it switched to Ford's mind. Dipper turned around in awe just as Bill appeared on the screen, cackling evilly. Bill was quickly followed by a short clip of Ford moving about in his sleep, and then him being yelled at by his old research partner, Fiddleford McGucket.

"Where are these ideas coming from? Who are you working with?" McGucket yelled at Ford, who stood in front of the portal. It was still in the stages of being built.

The screen changed and showed Ford frantically scribbling in his journal. _I'm losing my mind,_ it read in bold and jagged letters, much like those on that page of Alane's diary. _Trust no one._

"My brother is a dangerous know-it-all..." Came Stan's voice from the machine, followed by, "He would trick or possess anyone..." In Ford's voice. After this, the screen quickly switched to a younger Ford holding out a hand to Bill.

"Then it's a deal. From now until the end of time," Ford said to Dipper's absolute shock.

Bill's hand began to blaze with blue fire. "Just let me into your mind, Stanford."

"Please, call me..." Ford said thoughtfully as the two shook on it. "A friend."

Dipper stumbled back in horror as the screen switched to show Ford cackling like Bill had been, his eyes yellow with slits for pupils. "Ford and _Bill?!_ " He exclaimed in shock.

From behind him, Dipper heard the sound of Ford's chair moving, and turned to find the man now to his feet. "You shouldn't have done that," Ford said ominously, taking the helmet off and throwing it. It crashed into the many covered objects on the other side of the room, causing the tarps to fall.

And reveal dozens of items and banners depicting Bill.

"Why- why were you shaking hands with Bill?" Dipper asked, taking a few steps away from Ford and grabbing the rift, which had been set on the console of the computer. "You said Bill could possess anyone so he could get this." He stumbled and nearly dropped the rift onto the floor, clumsily grabbing it before it could make contact. "Ahh!"

"Careful! Hand me the rift! Now, boy!" Ford demanded, holding out a hand.

"Why were you really scanning my thoughts?" He asked as he backed away, pulling the memory gun from his vest and aiming it at Ford. "Are you Bill right now?!"

"Now just-just calm down, p-" 

Fear lit Dipper's eyes. "Pine Tree?! _Is that what you were gonna call me?!_ " He exclaimed shrilly.

"I was just going to say 'please,' kid!"

Dipper felt the back of his legs touch the computer. He was trapped at the back of the room now. "Great Uncle Ford told me to protect the rift! Get one step closer and I'll shoot! I'll erase you right out of Ford's head!" He told him, his hand shaking as he continued to aim the gun at Ford.

"It's me, Dipper. It's your uncle!" Ford exclaimed.

The gun began to charge up as Dipper let his pressure on the trigger increase. "Trust no one, trust no one, trust..."

"Hand it to me!"

Dipper pulled the trigger.

The beam that shot from the memory gun hit Ford square in the face- but bounced off of his glasses. The beam then proceeded to bounce around the room, and as Dipper and Ford ducked down to avoid it, it hit the main screen of the computer and shattered it.

Still terrified, Dipper made a grab for the memory gun, which he dropped, to try and erase Ford's mind again. But Ford was quicker, picking Dipper up instead before he could get it.

"Let go of me!" Dipper said, thrashing about to try and get Ford to drop him.

"Now-now, just calm down!" He adjusted his glasses before giving Dipper a thin smile. "Look into my eyes! Look at my pupils. It's me, Dipper. It's me."

Once Dipper had stopped his struggling, Ford gently set him back on the ground. "I tried to erase your mind. I'm so sorry," Dipper said quietly, hanging his head.

"It's okay, Dipper. Besides, my mind can't be erased, anyway, remember?" He knocked on his head again, indicating the metal plate in his head, and gave Dipper a smile. "If I really was Bill, though, you would've done great. I should of been more like you when I was young," he sighed.

"Dipper, I was a fool to try to hide all this," he continued as he knelt down. "The reason I've been trying to prepare you for Bill's tricks is that Bill tricked me. It's the biggest regret of my life. Bill wasn't always my enemy, Dipper. I used to think he was my friend. Long, long ago.

Dipper forgot his previous terror as Ford elapsed into story, his face sad and full of regret. "I had hit a road block in my investigation of Gravity Falls. Until I found some mysterious writing in a cave. Ancient incantations about a being with answers. It warned me not to read them, but I was desperate. I read the inscription aloud. But nothing happened. Until later that afternoon, when I had the most peculiar dream..."

Ford proceeded to tell Dipper about the dream, how the trees around him sprouted eyes on their bark before they and the forest faded away, leaving Ford in a void full of floating journals and books. 

He said Bill visited him in the dream. "He told me he was a muse. That he chose one brilliant mind a century to inspire. What a fool I was. Blinded by his flattery and games. He became my research assistant. He was free to move in and out of my mind as he pleased." He paused. "We were partners.

"When he told me I could complete my research by building a gateway to other worlds, I trusted him. He said this was the way genius happened. Little help from a friend. 

"My partner and I began construction on the portal right away. It seems that I was on the verge of my greatest achievement! That is, until Fiddleford got a glimpse of Bill's true plans.

"I confronted Bill about this," Ford continued. "I demanded to know what he had wanted me to build the portal for. He told me his true plans, and I told him I'd shut the portal down. But he told me he'd find another way into our world.

"I'd been betrayed. I shut the portal down, severing the link between Bill's world and ours. I had to hide my instructions so no one could ever finish Bill's work." He rubbed his face wearily. "Bill's been waiting for the gateway to reopen ever since. All he needs to do is get his hands on this rift. To Bill, it's just a game, but to _us_ , it would mean the _end_ of our world."

"Oh man," was all Dipper could think to say.

"Oh man, indeed," Ford agreed sadly.


	32. Chapter Twenty-Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major gore warning! You may just want to skim over this chapter if you like unicorns.

Anger had overtaken Alane, and she wasn't trying to hold it back. That uni-jerk had upset Mabel- made her spend the entire day doing good deeds then told her she was a bad person! Well, she wasn't just about to let that dumb horse get away with it.

 _Let this thing take over,_ Alane thought to herself, fists clenched in rage and hair turning black as she neared the fortress. _That unicorn deserves anything I throw at her._

The gates were shut, but Alane banged on them with a fist. "Open up, you hoofbag!" She yelled, stealing part of Wendy's previous insult.

At first, there was no response, but then the gates slowly opened. Inside, sitting on the rock in front of the waterfall was Celestabellebethabelle, looking smug as ever.

"Well, look who it is," she said, eyeing Alane. "One of the child's wrongdoer friends. And look, you changed your hair color. How nice."

"Listen up, you jerk," Alane growled, walking into the fortress. The faun who'd been playing the pan flute stopped as Alane neared, and once she was besides him, she drop-kicked the poor thing so it flew into the waterfall. Celestabellebethabelle looked at her in shock as Alane neared. "Mabel is probably going to come back here," she told her. "And when she does, you're going to tell her she has the purest heart of any human and give her a lock of your hair. Got it?"

Celestabellebethabelle stared at her for a moment before laughing, throwing back her head so her hair fell in a shimmering wave of too-bright colors and glitter. "You don't scare me, child. Your friend is not pure of heart, and will therefore never get a lock of my enchanted hair."

"Is that so?" Alane asked, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists together again, so hard that her fingernails cut her palms. Her clothes sped up in their color-change, and red tears, or perhaps it was blood, welled at her eyes.

"Eww," Celestabellebethabelle said in disgust as red rolled down Alane's cheeks. She stood up quickly, eyeing Alane, a hint of worry in her gaze. "Your heart is so dark that it's turned you into an actual demon," she said, the teasing note in her voice gone and having been replaced by sharp fear. "Go now, before I have to use my, uh, _unicorn powers_ on you!"

"I'm not leaving," Alane growled, looking up at Celestabellebethabelle with black, soulless eyes. "Until you promise to give Mabel some of your hair."

The unicorn froze for a second, as if thinking about this, before bending down so her face was at Alane's level. "Make. Me," she said, with that smug look.

That was all Alane had been waiting for.

With an inhuman scream, Alane launched herself at the startled unicorn. The force of herself hitting the horse caused the two of them to fly back into the water. Alane rolled some ways off from Celestabellebethabelle, stopping directly below the waterfall and jumping to her feet.

This change felt just like the last one.

And she wanted to see _blood_. 

Moving quickly from fear, Celestabellebethabelle got back up to her feet and attempted to run away from Alane. But she only reached the water's edge before Alane came up behind her, knocking her hind legs out and sending the unicorn crumpling into the water again with a sickening crack of bone. She let out a neigh of pain as a splash of sparkling water went over her mane.

"Please, d-don't hurt me," Celestabellebethabelle pleaded as Alane loomed over her. "I'll do what you asked- I'll give the child my hair, tell her how wonderful she is. Please, just stop!"

With a devilish grin on her face, Alane walked around and stood in front of Celestabellebethabelle's face. She then knelt down, putting a comforting hand to the unicorn's cheek as blood dripped from her own. "Don't worry," Alane soothed with a toothy smile. "I won't hurt you."

Celestabellebethabelle sagged with relief, but then stiffened as Alane's hand moved towards her horn. "I'll make it quick," Alane said quickly, grabbing hold of the horn and snapping it off.

Neighing with pain once more, Celestabellebethabelle struggled to stand, but Alane held her down with a single hand as she twirled the horn in the other. "Oh, did it hurt that much? Funny, I thought it'd be like pulling a tooth. Oh well." She ended with a hapless little shrug, and a tilt of her head at the unicorn. "Here, I'll end your misery for you."

And with that, Alane drove the severed horn straight into Celestabellebethabelle's throat.

The unicorn sputtered with shock as she was suddenly unable to breath. Blood oozed from around the horn, just as colorful as the rainbow above the waterfall. A too-big smile was on Alane's face as she watched the blood run down Celestabellebethabelle's white fur and into the pool of water.

After Celestabellebethabelle had stopped moving and her eyes clouded over, Alane felt her rage begin to drain and that numbness set in. With slow and precise moments, she pulled the horn out of the unicorn's throat before setting it by Celestabellebethabelle's face.

With her now bloodied hands, she then straddled the horse and turned her stiff head over to expose her now soaking wet mane. Alane tugged a fist full of hair right out, leaving a bald spot where it had been, then got to her feet.

Her hands, knees and part of her shirt had the rainbow blood of the unicorn on it, along with a smear on her face. But she paid it no attention, grinning to herself as she stepped over the body of Celestabellebethabelle and walked towards the fortress gates. The flute-playing faun cowered by a rock as she passed.

 

Mabel had been crying by the stream, writing down random "bad deeds" in a notebook on a list she'd titled "Mabel's Sins" when she was struck by sudden panic. She turned around quickly, spotting three of her four friends gathered by a tree not far off. "Guys," Mabel said worriedly, eyes red and puffy from crying. "Where's Alane?"

 

Alane made sure to wipe off the bloody streaks under her eyes before leaving the fortress. She actually used her last bit of crazy and borrowed the faun as a wipe, finding his damp fur perfect for washing off the bloody-tear stuff.

Now clean of her own blood, but still covered in Celestabellebethabelle's, Alane stepped outside of the fortress and closed the gates behind her. They shut with a bang, and after a moment the fortress itself began to sink back into the ground. Once it was all but gone, she turned on her heel to leave.

But stopped dead when she saw Mabel and the others staring at her.

"Uh," Wendy started in confusion. "Alane?"

"Oh, hi, guys," Alane said with a crooked smile, rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand. _Thank goodness my hair has changed back._ "What's... Up?"

"Alane, what did you do?" Mabel asked in a hushed tone, eyes darting from her wet clothes, the splotches of rainbow and the fist full of hair she held. 

Though guilt gnawed at her belly, Alane put on her best look of innocence and confusion. "What do you think I did..?" She asked, then looked down at the fist full of hair. "Oh!" She exclaimed, as if suddenly realizing. "Do you think I..?"

"Please tell me you didn't," Mabel said quietly.

"Wait, do you seriously think Alane _killed_ her?" Wendy asked in shock.

"She wouldn't do that sort of thing," Candy said.

"Probably," Grenda added.

Alane put forth her best effort in laughing. "I didn't kill her guys," she lied effortlessly. "I was angry she upset Mabel, so I came back to talk to her. Yes, insults were thrown and I did yell and, yeah, threaten, but in the end, turns out Celestabellebethabelle was just being a jerk. Said you were pure of heart, but she was just messing with you because she was jealous about you being a better person than her."

She held out the fist full of hair. "She gave me this and told me to leave. Said she wanted me to tell you she was sorry and that you are a good person."

"What's that all over you, then?" Mabel asked, not quite convinced.

"Unicorn tears," she replied quickly. "Celestabellebethabelle doesn't seem to be emotionally stable. And as for why I'm soaked, I fell into the pond trying to take off my shoes."

Mabel didn't seem to fully believe her, so Alane walked over and handed her the hair. "I don't know why you needed this, but take it. That hoofbag looked into my heart and called me an actual demon- it's only because of you that she gave it to me. And even then she told me to take it to you specifically. So you know, take it, give it to Sixer and stop being so hard on yourself, Mabel. 'Cuz you really are a good person, even the horse admits it." Alane ended with a small smile before patting Mabel on the back and walking past her and the others.

When no one else followed, she paused, glancing back at them. "You guys coming or what?" She called. Wendy, Candy and Grenda followed at her voice, followed a few seconds behind by Mabel, who's face was unreadable.


	33. Chapter Thirty

Now having left the other lab, Dipper sat with Ford at the kitchen table. Each of them held a Pitt Cola in hand, though Dipper wasn't drinking any of his.

"Ugh, I'm so embarrassed about earlier. I'm such an idiot," Dipper muttered, looking at the table.

Ford gave him a small smile. "From now on, no more secrets between us. We're not the first two idiots to be tricked by Bill, boy. But if we work together, we _could_ be the last."

"But what about Bill? I broke the machine! Now we have no way to protect the shack!"

"Actually," came Mabel's voice, followed by her slamming the unicorn hair on the table. "We've got it covered."

Dipper jumped slightly in shock when his sister appeared. She and the others hadn't even made a noise coming in. Behind Mabel was Candy, Grenda and Wendy, all looking a bit dirty from trekking about all day. Only one missing was Alane.

"It... Can't be! This is a great day, girls! With this unicorn hair, we should be able to completely shield the shack from Bill's mind-reading tricks!" Ford said gleefully, gingerly taking the hair from Mabel and looking at it.

"Is it okay?" Mabel asked quietly.

"Better than okay; it's perfect! You've protected your family. You're a good person, Mabel," Ford said, resting a six-fingered hand on Mabel's shoulder and offering her a smile.

"Actually, it wasn't me who got it," Mabel said, glancing at Ford's hand to avoid his gaze. "Alane did."

"Alane?" Ford and Dipper both asked at the same time, equally surprised.

"That jerk-face unicorn wouldn't give Mabel the hair, so Alane went back to talk to her," Wendy said. "I don't know what that kid did, but she made that unicorn cry _and_ give her it."

"But she said she only got the hair because Celestabellebethabelle had lied to Mabel about her being good!" Grenda chimed in.

Candy walked up besides Mabel. "It is because of Mabel we got the unicorn hair," she said softly. "Alane just had to speak to the unicorn."

"Never less, it is a good thing we have it," Ford said, setting the hair down on the table. "But, ah, where is Alane now?"

"Out in the yard I think," Wendy said, gesturing over her shoulder. "Told me she needed to call her dad or whatever."

Ford and Dipper visibly paled as they shared a quick glance. "Mabel, kids, why don't you all tell Dipper what you've done today?" Ford said, slowly backing from the room. "I need to go ask Alane something."

"Wait, Great Uncle Ford-" Dipper said, but was cut off by a look from Ford. With a sigh, Dipper turned to his sister. "What _did_ you guys do today?" He asked, fighting back the urge to go after his uncle. "You guys have been gone for hours."

Mabel hopped up on one of the chairs then began fiddling with a piece of unicorn hair. "Well, you see..."

 

"C'mon, Bill," Alane muttered, tapping her fingers together anxiously. "Talk to me..."

From the unicorn fortress back to the shack, Alane had slowly been returning to her normal self. But the more she calmed down and began to feel again, the more she realized what she had just done.

 _I just killed a unicorn,_ Alane thought with despair, hitting her head against the tree she sat against as she looked up at the leaves. _Oh gosh, I actually killed her. And I still have her blood on my clothes. Oh gosh..._

When she'd arrived back at the shack, Alane told Wendy she was going to hang outside and "call her stepdad" real quick. In reality, she just wanted to express her panic to the only creature she could think of who wouldn't look down on her about it.

"Alane!" Came a voice from behind her. She momentarily thought it to be Bill, but realization soon dawned on her that it was, in fact, Ford.

 _Why him? Why'd he have to come out here?_ Alane thought with a sigh, resting her head against her knees. "What do you want, brainiac?" She muttered as Ford stopped to her left.

"Mabel said you went to speak with the unicorns," Ford said, a hint of worry in his voice as he knelt down. "Did you do what I think you did?"

Alane looked at him with the most annoyed expression she could muster. "You know very well I can't read minds, Sixer. What _do_ you think I did?"

He huffed in annoyance. "Did you kill the unicorn?" He asked simply.

"No," she replied.

"Then what's that all over you?" Ford gestured to the stains on her clothes.

"Unicorn tears," Alane said, avoiding his gaze. "I didn't kill the jerk horse, but I made her cry."

When Ford didn't respond to that, Alane sighed, turning her head again to glare at him. "Look, you can either stand there for hours questioning me, or go to that fortress to see for yourself that she's alright. Or, you can believe me and drop it," she snarled.

"Okay, okay," Ford said, putting his hands up in front of him defensively. "I believe you, it's tears, not blood. But what's this I hear about you talking to your dad? You don't have parents, Alane."

"I know I don't have parents," she snapped, the roots of her hair flaring black for a second. "It's just what I call Bill sometimes to avoid suspicion."

"And why are you talking to Bill?" Ford asked slowly, his voice even. He was clearly trying to get answers without upsetting her.

 _Oh, because he's the only person who wouldn't look at me like I was a monster if I told him what I just did?_ "My reasons are none of your concern," Alane said simply, looking away from him.

"It is my concern when it involves Bill," Ford said sternly. "I know you two are close, but he's not a fan of me nor my family, and I need to know about anything that could be a threat to them."

Alane groaned. "What are you so worried about, Ford?" Alane asked angrily, heaving herself to her feet so she could look down at the man. But Ford stood up a second later and was towering over her again. "Afraid I'm going to tell him about that unicorn hair? Heck- I don't even know why you needed it! Am I just not allowed to speak to the being who's protected me my entire life anymore because you fell for one of his games?"

"You don't know what he's done, what he's planning to d-"

"Bill keeps secrets, everyone does," Alane interrupted. "What he's working on is his business and I don't bother him about it. But I do, in fact, know what he's done, because he told me himself. We _trust_ each other, and I think you need to learn to trust me.

"That unicorn made Mabel cry," Alane continued, eyes welling up but voice still full of rage. "She sent Mabel off to do good deeds all day, then told her she was a horrible person. I went back to give that unicorn a piece of my mind because I don't like seeing her get hurt when I have the power to stop it and make things right."

She let her voice die down a bit as she said quietly, "You and Dipper keep on acting like I'm a super villain, that I'm bent on hurting you guys because I know and trust Bill. But I'm _not,_ Ford. I don't want to hurt anyone, especially your family. But sometimes I just need to talk to someone who doesn't look at me like I'm a monster."

Ford's mouth moved silently as he processed this, unable to get words out. "Alane, I-" he said after a minute, but Alane cut him off, holding up a hand.

"Bill won't respond to me," she said quietly, looking at the ground with her hand still raised. "He's usually too busy to talk. I'm just... Gonna go take a nap. See you later," she said, then walked past Ford, up the steps and into the shack, leaving him standing there in the yard.

Inside, she didn't stop to talk to Mabel, Dipper or the others, instead just going right upstairs. She entered the twins' bedroom, closed the door quietly behind her then climbed up to her loft, pulling herself directly up by jumping and grabbing the platform. The ladder was actually harder to get up with than just doing a pull-up.

Up on the loft, Alane rummaged through her clothes until she pulled out a similar brown sweater and pants. She hadn't really gotten any sleeping-clothes, so after changing into the clean outfit she laid down on her makeshift bed to nap, exhausted after her change.

But she didn't sleep.

The lingering memories of what she had just done and what she had just said to Ford, along with the now almost faded but still there feelings of her change kept her up. So, well into the night, she laid there staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. Bill didn't make an appearance once, and when the twins came up for bed, she simply pretended to be asleep.


	34. Chapter Thirty-One

Dipper woke up at about eight the next morning to Ford shaking him awake. "Huh..? Wh-what is it?" Dipper asked, blurry eyed and still half asleep.

"I need your help, my boy," Ford said, motioning to the door. "Come downstairs when you're ready." And with that, he left.

He took a second to rub the sleep out of his eyes before throwing back his covers and jumping out of bed and walking towards the door, not bothering to change out of his pajamas. Only, he stopped when he noticed Alane up in her loft. She was sitting in the corner of it, scrunched up in a little ball as she wrote in her diary.

"Um, good morning?" Dipper said, scratching the side of his head. _It's creepy to think she was awake and in the room while I was sleeping..._ He shuddered slightly.

"Oh, is it morning?" She asked, glancing up from her diary and at the window, from which a ray of morning sunlight shone in. "Must've lost track of the time."

"Wait- where you up all night?" He asked in surprise. He'd been sure she was asleep when he and Mabel came up.

Alane shrugged, re-positioning her diary to make it easier to write before getting back to it. "Couldn't sleep," she said simply, then pointed with her pencil towards the door. "He seemed real excited about something. You should probably go see what he wants."

"Oh, right, Ford," Dipper said, having forgot for a second why'd he'd even gotten up. He began to run towards the door, but paused for a second, looking back up at Alane. "Tell Mabel where I went when she wakes up," he said.

Alane gave him a nod, not looking up from her diary as she shooed him with her free hand. Dipper rolled his eyes before leaving the room, rushing down the stairs as quick as possible.

Downstairs, Dipper found Ford sitting at the table, the bundle of unicorn hair in front of him, along with some rocks and a bottle of glue. He was reading from his journal and didn't notice Dipper until the boy sat in the chair across from him.

"What did you need my help with?" Dipper asked with a yawn as Ford shut his book.

"Bill-proofing the shack," Ford replied with a grin. "We really should've done it yesterday, but the girls got back with the unicorn hair so late... We have to get it up as soon as possible."

"So what do you need me to do?" Tiredness forgotten, Dipper eagerly looked from Ford to the objects on the table.

"I need you to put the unicorn hair all around the shack while I take care of the moonstones and mercury," Ford replied, pushing the bundle of hair and bottle of glue towards Dipper as he stood up. "Just make sure each strand of hair touches another piece on either side. If there's even so much as an eighth of an inch gap between two pieces, it won't work. Can I trust you to do this?"

"Yes, but how do you want me to do it?" Dipper asked, sliding off the chair before picking up the hair. "Do you have some super-specific way you need it placed at to work?" He really wanted to make sure he did it correctly.

"Nope," Ford said, putting the book in his coat pocket as he grabbed the rocks and stood. "Just use a little glue, stick it around the shack on all the outside walls, and make sure they're all touching. Should be a fairly easy process, and I can come help after I place the moonstones."

"Alright- I'll get right to it," Dipper said with a smile, picking up the bottle of glue before turning and running towards the door. The sound of Ford's footsteps soon followed.

 

The morning was hot, and Dipper found that he spent the majority of the time panting or wiping his forehead. Still though, within twenty minutes Ford was helping him, and not even an hour later, Dipper was placing the last piece of unicorn hair.

"And there we go," Dipper said slowly as he put glue on the back of the strand of hair before pressing it into place and stepping back.

At first nothing happened, but then the strands of unicorn hair which stretched around the entire shack lit up, a shimmering barrier appearing from them and surrounding the shack before vanishing. From besides him, Ford gave a hearty laugh. "That's it Dipper; now Bill has no way into the shack," he said happily.

"So the barrier will protect us from anything he does?" Dipper asked, glancing over at his uncle.

"Well, in reality he can't do anything without a physical form," Ford said with a slight tilt of his head. "But relatively speaking, yes. He cannot appear to anyone inside through dreams, nor can he possess anyone inside the shack or get in by possessing someone on the outside. We are completely and totally safe while within the house's walls."

Dipper breathed a sigh of relief. "Good- I felt like I was going insane, worrying about Bill so much," he said with a shaky laugh. He paused a second as something occurred to him, and looked up at Ford. "Do you think we should tell Alane about this?"

"Hmm," Ford hummed, looking lost for a second as if he hadn't even thought about it. But then he shook his head, glancing over at Dipper. "Alane told me Bill often ignores her. She'll just associate her being unable to speak to him inside the shack with that. No reason to tell Alane we put up a barrier to keep him out."

Dipper awkwardly put his hands in his pockets. "It's just, Mabel doesn't want to keep things from her anymore now that she's being truthful with us," he said quietly. He honestly didn't want to tell Alane, it'd probably just upset her and he did not want to deal with her breakdown, but he didn't want to keep things from her and upset Mabel, either.

Ford looked down at him, expression serious. "There's a lot Alane still isn't telling us, Dipper. Or at least, I suspect there is. Don't feel like you need to be open about what we're doing until I'm sure she's being open with us."

"What do you think she's hiding?" Dipper asked in surprise.

Holding his hands behind his back, Ford looked back at the house. "She said that she and Bill trust each other, that they share things. However, Alane also told me Bill was 'working' on something that he didn't discuss with her. I have a suspicion that she does know what he's doing, or at least a version of it Bill spun up to tell her."

"But you said Bill's plan was to get the rift and destroy the world," Dipper said with a shaky laugh. "Wouldn't that mean, if Alane knew about it, that she was trying to kill us all?"

"I know, it doesn't seem likely," he sighed. "It's why I think Bill might be lying to her about his exact plans. Alane could be helping him bring on the total destruction of our world without even knowing about it.

"But, my point is, she won't tell me anything." Ford looked upset as he said this. "She apparently trusts the demon more than me, and that's very dangerous. We can't tell her anything about our precautions against Bill until we know she's fully on our side."

"What should I tell Mabel, then?" Dipper asked as he and Ford began to walk back to the front door. "She knows about our Bill-proofing the shack, and she'll want to tell Alane."

"Actually," Ford said, pausing outside the door. "I think Mabel's trust in Alane might be wavering after yesterday."

"What? Why?" Dipper asked, secretly relieved. _Maybe Mabel will start siding with me instead of Alane again,_ he thought giddily.

"When the girls came back yesterday, Alane was covered in something. She said it was unicorn tears." Ford pushed open the door, before saying over his shoulder, "It wasn't tears, and I think Mabel knows it."

"So what, you think she-" Dipper was about to say 'killed the unicorn' but cut himself off as he and Ford entered the house and spotted Alane in the kitchen.

Ford motioned for him to be quiet before walking through the living room and to the kitchen. "Good morning, Alane," he said, causing the girl to jump.

Alane stood in front of the stove, spatula in hand. At the sound of Ford's voice, she glanced back at them before turning the stove top heat down and setting the spatula on the counter. She then turned around. "Morning, Ford. Hey, Dipper," she said to them with a thin smile.

"You're... Cooking breakfast?" Dipper asked in surprise.

She nodded, glancing over her shoulder to make sure what she was cooking wasn't burning. "Yeah. Mr. Pines seemed real busy this morning, so I figured I'd take over cooking for once. Hope you guys don't mind."

"We don't mind," Ford said, but Dipper wanted to say otherwise. They'd just been talking about how Alane might work for Bill... Now he had to eat food she cooked with no one else in the room? It could be poisoned! "What are you making?" Ford said as Dipper mentally panicked.

"Just omelets," Alane said, turning back to the stove and turning off the burner. She then took the pan off, and using the spatula slid two omelets out of the pan and onto plates. "Stan, Mabel and me have all already eaten. These are for you guys if you want them."

"I didn't know you could cook," Ford commented quietly as he took the plate Alane offered him.

"I took a few cooking classes at the college," she said in a tone quieter than his before gesturing over her shoulder. "I'm gonna go outside and see if I can help them with loading up. See you guys later."

"Wait, loading up what?" Ford asked as Dipper stared uncertainly at his omelet.

It didn't _look_ poisoned...

But still suspicious.

"Stan said he's gotta make a trip or something," Alane said with a shrug. "Going around to other tourist traps I think? He was loading up an RV when I brought him his food."

Dipper had thought he'd seen an RV pull up to the house earlier. He'd just assumed it was tourists though. "So I guess he's not running from the law again," Dipper mused, where as Ford looked at him questioningly. "Think he'll need our help?"

"I don't think so," Alane said as she walked away. "Soos and Mabel are already out there helping him, and Mabel's friends will be here soon, too."

When Alane had left, Dipper turned to Ford. "Think this food is poisoned?" He questioned.

Ford studied his omelet for a second before shaking his head. "Stan and Mabel aren't dead, so probably not," he said as he sat down at the table. Dipper took a seat across from him and stared at the omelet. With a heavy sigh, he picked up his fork and took a bite.

Actually... Wasn't that bad.

"So," Ford said with a mild look of surprise as he took a bite of his own omelet. "What's this about Stan running from the law?"


	35. Chapter Thirty-Two

Alane walked through the Mystery Shack gift shop before exiting through the house by way of the screen door. Outside in the parking lot, Stan was loading up an old RV. Soos was on the roof of the vehicle for some reason, where as Mabel carried a box labeled "Dipper's Stuff."

"Need any help, Mabel?" Alane called as she walked down the steps. On the second to last one, Alane felt as if she were being shoved from behind by something, and awkwardly stumbled over the last step, barely keeping herself from falling over. When she glanced behind her however, there was no one there.

"We're good I think," Mabel said with a smile, having not witnessed Alane's trouble with the steps. "Just loading up Dipper's stuff while I wait for Candy and Grenda."

"You're all going, then?" Alane asked. "Ford too?"

"I don't think Ford is coming," Mabel said with a small frown. "But the rest of us are. Well, Dipper if I can convince him to. You sure you don't want to come?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Alane said with a crooked smile. "I'm not a fan of cars anymore. But you guys have fun, alright?"

"We will," Mabel said happily, disappearing into the RV for a minute before reemerging box-free. She hopped back onto the ground before walking over to Alane. "What do you think you'll do while we're gone?" She asked. "Stan said it could be two or three days before we get back." 

"Oh, I'll probably hang out with Wendy," Alane said with a shrug. "Maybe pay Fiddleford a visit? I hear he lives in town, and I think it'd be nice to visit him."

"That may not be the best idea," Mabel said worriedly. "He's probably not like the guy you used to know anymore."

"Why's that?" Alane asked, tilting her head.

But Mabel didn't reply, instead glancing past Alane at the door as it opened. "Hey, Dipper!" She called out happily.

"Hey, Mabel," he said with a grin, walking down the steps. "What's this I hear about a road trip?"

"More like _revenge_ trip," Stan said, coming up behind Mabel and Alane. "Every year my tourist trap competitors prank the Mystery Shack. Last year those hooligans duct taped Soos to the ceiling."

"That was a fun seventy-eight hours," Soos commented.

"Well, no more!" Stan pulled a map from his pocket and handed it to Dipper. "This year we're visiting every tourist trap along the Redwood Highway, and I'm gonna prank back every single one!"

As Dipper scanned over the map, Grenda and Candy arrived, both carrying backpacks. "Bow wow! Time to let the road dogs _bark!_ " Grenda said happily.

"That is us. We are the road dogs," Candy added as she pushed up her glasses.

"Thanks again for letting me bring Candy and Grenda along for our road trip, Grunkle Stan," Mabel said happily.

"The more the merrier," Stan said as he walked over to the two girls, holding out two forms he'd puled from his pocket. "Just sign these non-disclosure agreements. None of your parents are lawyers, right?" They disappeared into the RV.

Soos awkwardly jumped-fell from the top of the RV. After regaining his composure, he walked over to Dipper. "What do ya say, dude? You comin'?" He asked him.

"I already went to the trouble of packing all your stuff. Even the stuff you kept in that secret box under the bed," Mabel added. "Already have it on the RV, so you can't say no to going!"

"I guess I can go," Dipper said, glancing over at Alane, who'd just been standing there awkwardly for the past couple of minutes. "You coming too?"

"No," Alane said, noting the grin that momentarily lit up Dipper's face. "Cars, they're... Not my preferred mode of transportation. I'm just gonna stay here and hang out with Wendy and everyone."

"So do you guys need any help?" Dipper asked.

"I think Stan just needs to get his stuff and then we'll be leaving," Mabel told him, looking over at Alane as Soos walked back into the RV. "Hey, since you're staying here, you mind taking care of Waddles while I'm gone?" She asked.

"Sure," Alane replied, happy to be able to help with something. "How hard could caring for a pig be?"

"Great! Come inside and I'll explain what you'll need to do for him while we're gone," Mabel said, taking Alane by the hand and beginning to drag her back up the steps.

Only, when Alane tried to move up to the second step, she felt herself being pushed back. She lost her grip on Mabel's hand and flew back about a foot, landing in the dirt at Dipper's feet. "What the heck?" Alane gasped, rubbing her palms, which had been scrapped up on the ground and were now slowly healing.

"What just happened?" Mabel asked, running back down the steps and helping Alane to her feet.

"Oh gosh," Dipper said, eyes wide. "I, uh, need to go get Ford." He then took off up the steps and disappeared into the house.

Alane looked at the stairs and the house in confusion as she brushed dirt off of her. She and Mabel were still standing there then Dipper rushed back outside with Ford right behind him.

Upon seeing the man, Alane walked back over to the stairs. She moved up to the first step then tried to put a hand forward, but the action was stopped by a barrier. Ripples of color came from where she made contact with it, but after a second it was completely invisible again. "Care to explain?"

Ford sighed heavily. "Dipper and I put up a barrier around the house with the unicorn hair you two brought us."

"And for what reason?" She asked, keeping her tone even.

"To protect the shack."

"From _what?_ "

Another sigh, followed by Ford pinching the bridge of his nose. "Bill."

Ford quickly continued as Alane's face lit up with anger. "The barrier was only meant to keep Bill and his weirdness out of the shack, we didn't mean for it to protect against everything inhuman. I really had no idea it would prevent you from entering as well."

Alane dropped her hand from the barrier as her hair slowly changed to black. "This is what I was talking about, Ford. You have _zero_ trust! Bill can't even do anything, for crying out loud- he's just an image in your mind! Why are you all so afraid of him?"

"Alane, you need to calm down," Mabel said quietly, resting a hand on Alane's shoulder.

She turned her head quickly and looked from Mabel's hand to her friend's pleading and scared face. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before looking back at Dipper and Ford. "You know what, it's fine. This is you guys' house, so you can keep whoever you want out of it. I've probably overstayed my welcome anyway."

"Are you going to leave?" Mabel asked sadly.

"Well, I can't really stay here," she muttered, poking the barrier nervously. "I'll get a room at the inn and stay there until I figure out what to do and where to go. I promise I won't leave town though until you guys are back," she added after seeing the look on Mabel's face.

Alane looked over to Dipper. "Mind getting my things? Everything is up on the loft."

"Sure," he said quietly, walking back into the house.

The three of them stood there in silence until Dipper returned with her suitcase, which was stuffed full of the clothes she and Mabel had bought. He was having trouble moving it, so Ford took it from him and heaved it down the steps before setting it on the ground.

"I'll see you guys when you get back," Alane said with a sad smile to Mabel as the girl enveloped her in a hug. After a moment, she broke the embrace and turned to Ford. She straightened herself and gave him a mock salute, which caused a tiny smile to appear on his face.

She then picked up the bag with ease and glanced over at Dipper. "My diary and phone better be in here," she said jokingly. "Or else I'll be coming back for them."

"They're in there," he said seriously as Mabel sniffed and wiped her eyes. 

"You better not be lying," she said, but shot him a good-natured wink. From the corner of her eye, she saw him blush as she turned to Mabel. She gave her friend another small smile before walking over to the RV.

Alane poked her head in through the door and spotted Stan, standing besides the table where Candy and Grenda sat signing documents. "Hey, Mr. Pines," she called, catching his attention.

"Yeah, kid?" He said, walking over.

"So, appears your brother put up a barrier around the house, so I can't really stay here anymore," Alane said, rolling her eyes. "Basically, I'm gonna go get a room at the inn in town. Thanks for letting me stay with you guys for so long."

"Whoa, wait? You're leaving?" He asked in surprise. "Just like that? Have you told Mabel?"

"Mabel knows, as does everyone else," Alane said with a sigh. "Just wanted to thank you for being so hospitable during my stay."

"It was no problem, kid," Stan said, actually giving her a small smile. "Aside from the weirdness, it was nice having you here."

Alane chuckled. "Well, see you later, Mr. Pines," she said with a smile before turning back around.

After getting a better grip on her suitcase, she waved to the others before beginning to walk away. She heard Mabel sniffling and the distinct noise of small feet rushing into the house, followed closely by another set of them. Dipper must've followed Mabel inside.

She didn't turn back after she began to walk away, and was soon at the road. Slowly, she looked left then right and let out a long sigh. "Here I am again," she muttered before turning towards town.

Pretty soon, the trees and forest foliage were blocking her from view and she let her head hang. Dropping her bag on the side of the road, she put her hands to her face and slowly shook her head.

 _I can't believe that just happened,_ she thought haplessly. _Did Ford really just put up a barrier and prevent me from entering the shack? Did I really just leave?_ She let out a quiet groan. _What am I going to do?_

"You'll do what you always do!" Bill's voice suddenly rang out through her head as he appeared before her, the world around her turning gray. "Find a new town, hang around for a bit and then move on."

 _Oh, so_ now _he decides to show up,_ she thought with a scowl before saying, "But I can't do that. I told Mabel I wouldn't leave until they got back."

"Then do what you told the little brat and stay at the inn," Bill said, rolling his eye. "Best if you don't skip town for a while anyway. I got some big plans and I want you to be here when things fall into place."

"What are your plans anyway?" She asked, folding her arms. "I think it's about time you told me."

"You'll see soon enough," Bill said dismissively. "But trust me, you're gonna love it!

"Anyway, sorry I haven't been around much," Bill continued, circling Alane. "Been busy with preparations. But I have been keeping an eye on you. Saw everything that just went down between you, Sixer, Pine Tree and Shooting Star. Not to mention what you did to that unicorn!"

"You saw that?" She asked in surprise, eyes widening.

"Of course I did! And I must say, I'm impressed. Didn't think you had it in you to do something like that, especially when the creature begs for mercy."

Alane felt her guilt building up inside of her. "I really didn't want to do it," she murmured, looking at the ground. "I was just so angry, and she upset Mabel..."

"Yeah, don't give me that," Bill said, stopping in front of her. "You know you wanted to do it, so you might as well admit it. In fact, I think you even enjoyed it! The look on your face when you plunged that unicorn's horn right into her throat- I've never seen you smile like that before."

"Please stop talking about it," she pleaded quietly, avoiding his piercing gaze. "I'd rather just forget about the whole thing."

He studied her a moment before shrugging. "Whatever you want, kid. But if you go and kill something else and have that look again, you can bet I'm bringing it back up."

Bill floated back a little ways from her, and she felt like if he had a mouth he'd be smiling at her, or perhaps winking if he had another eye. "Anyways kid, I probably won't be around for the next few days, so I just wanted to pop by. I'll see you at, oh, the end of summer sound good?" He ended with a laugh before vanishing.

Alane blinked open her eyes as Bill left, returning to reality. She quickly picked up her bag again before starting to walk towards town once more, through the now in-color world.


	36. Chapter Thirty-Three

It was still reasonably early, so Alane took her time walking into town. There was no real need to rush and besides, she had a lot of stuff to think about.

She arrived at the Gravity Falls Inn just before noon and got a room, using part of her meager supply of cash to do so. After bringing her bag to where she'd be staying, she took some time to roll her current situation in her head before settling down for a nap. After not having slept the entire night after her change, and having walked the mile into town, she was completely worn out.

When she finally awoke, it was hours later; the next day to be exact. So Alane wrote in her diary for about an hour before leaving the inn to explore town in the early hours of the day.

The sun was just beginning to rise and dew was everywhere. The air was crisp with the faint spell of pancakes coming from the diner, probably a lingering scent from yesterday. Alane took a moment to close her eyes, relax, and just take everything in before continuing on her walk.

 _Okay,_ she thought, putting her hands in her pockets as she looked around. She was the only one out in town so far that morning. _Let's go over things again. I killed a unicorn, can't get into Mystery Shack anymore, the Pines family is going on a trip, and now I have to stay in town until they get back._ She looked at the ground, brows furrowed. _What am I supposed to do?_

At least when she could stay at the shack, she'd have things to do. She could cook, or play with Waddles, or watch TV. Maybe even sort things out with Ford, or invent something?

But now that she had to stay at the inn, she didn't have anything to do. There wasn't even a TV at the place, let alone a small kitchen, and definitely not a pig to play with.

The idea of spending a few days with only Ford for company seemed better than this, because she could at least tease him for fun. But now she couldn't even do that, because Ford never seemed to leave the house.

"I could visit Fiddleford," she mused as she walked down the sidewalk. "But Mabel said he's changed... I wonder what happened to him these past few years." 

Alane passed by a few of the town's small shops, glancing in the windows of each as she passed. None of them had lights on, but for the local radio station. Inside, she spotted a short man reading aloud from a paper. Most likely recording himself for something broadcasting later in the day.

After passing the knitting store she and Mabel shopped at, oh, about a week or two ago? And the only bar in town, Alane arrived outside of the dump. As she stood there studying it, two rats skittered by her feet, as did a cockroach.

"I can't believe Dipper and Soos said he lives here," she murmured, moving to walk in. But she stopped after only a few steps, it occurring to her that the man probably wasn't awake yet. So she turned back around, and instead sat by the old wooden fence to wait.

She remained sitting against the old wood until the sun had risen over the mountains and people began to mill about town. She didn't do much while she waited, aside from write in her diary and fiddle around with her phone.

When she decided it was late enough for Fiddleford to be awake, she heaved herself to her feet. Her legs ached from staying in the same position for so long, and she paused to stretch a little before walking into the dump.

The air stunk of rot and on either side of her trash piled high into the sky. She wrinkled her nose in disgust, but her expression was sad. Back in college, Fiddleford showed a lot of promise in becoming an inventor. How did he end up living here, among other people's garbage?

Alane eventually came out into a space that'd been cleared away of most of the trash. At it's center sat a small shack, built of scraps that had presumably come from around the dump. On the front wall was some graffiti, which only added to it's rundown look. 

From inside the shack, Alane heard the faint patter of feet and someone talking to themselves. She assumed Fiddleford, or whoever lived here, was awake.

"Hello? Fiddleford?" Alane called out hesitantly.

"Who's there?" Came a harsh voice from inside the shack, followed by the appearance of a short bearded man. He wore old, brown overalls, a faded and holey hat and no shoes. His feet were wrapped in bandages instead, and he, for some reason, had a bandage on his long white beard.

As he came out, he was shaking his fist and looked angry. "If you be another one o' those darn kids spraya-paintin' my house, I'll-"

"No, no," Alane said, cutting him off as she raised her hands defensively and took a few steps back. "I'm not here to vandalize. I'm looking for someone, a man named Fiddleford McGucket? My friends, Dipper and Mabel Pines, told me I could find him around here."

Any trace of anger dropped right from his face, and the man broke out in a crooked smile. He was missing multiple teeth. "Dipper 'n Mabel sent ya? Well then, come on in!" He said happily, beckoning her before going into the shack. Alane hesitated only a second before following.

"I don't get too many visitors anymore," the man was saying as he picked some old, busted green glasses off of a makeshift table and put them on. The table was a watering troth for animals, and the seats were crates. He looked at Alane happily. "What can I do for ya?"

"Wait a second," Alane said in astonishment. " _You're_ Fiddleford?"

"In the flesh," he hooted, slapping his knee. But then he paused a second, looking at her through narrowed eyes. "Wait a moment- do I know you?"

"Fiddleford, it's me," Alane said, offering him an awkward smile. "You know, Alane? You and Stanford's friend from college?"

Fiddleford's eyes grew wide for a moment, and his mouth hung open in shock. But then he shook his head and looked at her apologetically. "Sorry, I don't recall," he said, rubbing his head. "My memories haven't all come back yet... But, wait a second." He looked at her through narrowed eyes. "How is it we went to college? You some sort of magic bein' who don't age?"

"Uh, what happened to your memories?" Alane asked, acting like she hadn't heard the question.

"It's a long story," Fiddleford said sadly before perking up and saying, "But they comin' back now that Dipper 'n Mabel helped me with rememberin'! Should be able to recall ya in no time, whoever you are."

"My name's Alane, Fiddleford," she chuckled as she sat down on one of the crates. "We used to be buddies. Well, that might be exaggerating a bit." She grinned as she recalled old memories. "Stanford and I were close, but you and me would talk whenever we happened to see each other. I think you found me annoying though, or immature, because of my nicknaming you Ford Point Two."

"'Ford Point Two?'" He asked, tilting his head.

"Oh, well you and Stanford's names both ended with 'ford', and since I just called Stanford 'Ford', I called you Ford Point Two. I think I may have said it was to avoid confusion or something since my other nickname option for you was Ford as well? But it was really just to mess with you guys."

The man blinked slowly as he listened to Alane. When she was finished, he smiled and said, "I didn't understand a lick of what you just said!"

She rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. Fiddleford looked at her with a mild expression of concern. "Was there a particular reason for your visitin'?" He asked when she'd been sitting in silence for awhile.

Alane slowly shook her head. "I just learned you lived in town and I wanted to visit while I'm here." She paused. "For me, it's like in a blink of an eye, everyone I know has grown old or died. I used to wish I could stop meeting people so as to avoid the grief of losing them.

"But now that I've met Mabel and Dipper, I realize I actually missed having friends. I missed being able to talk to people and get to know them and hang out. And I guess I've just realized that, even though it's been so long, some of my old friends are still around, and I should visit them whenever I get the chance."

Fiddleford looked at her with a small frown. "I really don't remember who you are, but if you say we used to be friends... Visit for as long as you want, I won't kick you out. Besides, I don't get too many visitors, and I appreciate the company."

Alane ended up hanging out at Fiddleford's for the majority of the day. They didn't do much besides talk, and in Alane's case, try to jog the man's memory of her. Fiddleford also showed her all his inventions and a raccoon he was apparently married to.

Though the man didn't remember her, Alane was confident that this was the Fiddleford she used to know. Mainly because of the multitude of computers he had stored in his house, but also because her friend's old personality kept slipping through his current backwoods-hillbilly composure.

It was the middle of the afternoon when Alane finally left; she'd been there for at least six hours and figured it was about time. Fiddleford waved to her as she left, and she to him until she rounded the fence and he was blocked from view.

Walking back down the sidewalk once more, Alane put her hands in her pockets and studied her surroundings. For the first time in, oh, weeks? She felt completely at ease being out in the open, among other people.

However, some mixed feelings were surfacing inside of her the more she thought about her visit with Fiddleford. She was happy to have seen the man after so long, but what had happened to him that caused his memory loss?

And on top of that, she and Stanford used to be much closer than her and Fiddleford. She had just said that day that she felt like she should spend as much time as possible with her old friends while she could. But she couldn't even stand to be in the same room as Ford.

 _I have perfectly good reason though,_ Alane rationalized, turning her gaze to the sidewalk ahead of her. _The man tried to kill me. I have every right to not want to be around him._

But Ford didn't even remember what he did, what he tried to do, and he seemed so upset that she avoided him...

 _Maybe..._ She thought sadly. _I should give him another chance._

Mid-thought, Alane stumbled into someone, being jolted back into reality in the process. "Oh, sorry," she said, backing up with her hands raised.

"You'd better be," the girl huffed, throwing her blonde hair over her shoulder. "If I had fallen, my dad would have sued you."

The girl before her was about Mabel's height, so just a couple inches shorter than her. She wore a purple jacket and a shirt a that was a light lavender, paired with black pants and tan leather boots. She had huge silver loop earrings and was wearing way too much makeup.

Alane decided she didn't like her.

"What kind of person sues a girl for walking into someone?" She asked, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow.

"The kind of person who has more money than an entire town," the girl laughed before saying with an annoyed expression, "Look, I could still go tell my parents to sue you, so you'd better scram."

"Actually," Alane said. "I'm not going anywhere. I think it's _you_ who'd better leave, before something happens that you regret."

"Are you threatening me? Do you know who I am?" She exclaimed in shock.

"No, I don't actually. And frankly I don't care," Alane said, taking joy at the girl's horrified expression.

The girl stomped her foot. "I am Pacifica Northwest!"

"Pacifica Northwest?" Alane asked, raising an eyebrow. "You got a cousin named Atlantica Southeast?" 

Pacifica groaned in a loud and over dramatic manner before her face lit up. Smugly, she pointed to something behind Alane. "There are my parents now!" She said, and when Alane glanced around she spotted two fancily dressed people speaking with the mayor. "You got five seconds to beat it or I'll tell them you're bothering me."

Alane actually wanted to go over there and tell them what a brat their daughter was, but she was afraid she'd end up getting too worked up. So, instead, she put her hands back in her pockets and shrugged. "Whatever you say, little goblin. I got places to be anyway."

The girl stared at her in a mixture of shock and triumph as Alane walked away. But as she went, Alane quickly shape-shifted so that her eyes were black and soulless before glancing over her shoulder at Pacifica.

She seemed like she was going to faint, upon spotting Alane's eyes. Alane shot her a wink and a toothy smile before facing forward again and changing her eyes back. She heard Pacifica running to her parents as she went.


	37. Chapter Thirty-Four

Alane hadn't walked too much further when she spotted Wendy and the others, who were laughing and taking pictures of Thompson as he ate something that he'd picked up off the ground at their request. After pausing a second, Alane walked over to them.

"Oh, hey, Alane," Wendy said as she walked over. "Thought you went with Dipper and Mabel on their trip?"

"Nah, I'm not staying with them anymore," Alane said with a shrug. "Thing got complicated, so I'm staying at the inn now."

"Bummer." Wendy looked over at the others before saying, "Hey, we're going up to the graveyard in a bit. Wanna come along?"

"Sure," she said with a smile. "Haven't got anything else to do."

"Great," Wendy said with a grin before walking over to the others. "Hey guys, Alane's coming with us to the graveyard."

"Aw, what?" Robbie said in disgust, eyeing Alane. "But she's like ten!"

"She's fourteen dude," Wendy said, frowning. "And besides, Dipper and Mabel have come before, and they're only twelve."

He huffed, rolling his eyes. "Whatever. Just don't do anything weird, kid."

Alane frowned at him but didn't say anything.

Nate and Lee walked over to her, both supporting goofy smiles. "You know, you are pretty short," Lee said with a laugh. "Sure you're fourteen?"

"First time Dipper and Mabel hang out with us, they claimed to be older than they actually were," Nate added.

"Oh yes, I'm lying about my age," Alane said with an amused smile. "I'm actually over fourteen thousand years old."

The two laughed, and Lee slapped her on the back good-naturedly. "Good one, kid."

"Seriously though," Alane said. "I am fourteen, I'm just short. Which means I'm only a year younger than you guys, so calling me 'kid' isn't very appropriate when my age is compared to you guys'."

Nate looked at her sideways. "It was just a joke, dude."

"Oh, right," Alane said awkwardly, cheeks reddening a bit. The two guys looked at each other and shrugged before walking back to where they'd been.

"Hey, we still going to the graveyard or what?" Wendy asked loudly, catching everyone's attention. "C'mon guys, we've loitered long enough."

The group set off through town, Alane at the back of it. Since she had shorter legs than the others, she had trouble keeping up. But she was already embarrassed about not getting that joke, and didn't want to further it by running to keep up by Wendy.

Eventually, Alane made it out of town, up a hill and to the graveyard. By the time she arrived panting, everyone was already sitting around. Robbie and Tambry were laying besides each other on the grass by a freshly dug grave. It looked like they were taking pictures of the clouds, but Alane saw the two were merely reading a page on a social media site.

Meanwhile, Nate and Lee were trying to convince Thompson to get into the grave. The poor guy was protesting and getting all jittery with nerves, but it was clear he was going to do it, so as not to come off as no fun.

Wendy sat leaning up against a gravestone watching her friends with a smile on her face. "You know, Alane," Wendy said when Alane had come over and sat down besides the neighboring gravestone. "You've been in town for awhile now, and none of us know anything about you. At least, none of us here, and we met you before everyone else.

"Care to share some stuff about yourself?" She continued, looking over at Alane with a grin. "I'm really interested in how you were able to make Celesta-whatever cry. And, in all honesty here, I'm pretty sure I saw you and Stan riding in the back of a black car last week. Like, what was all that about? And then, where are you even from, when are you leaving?" Wendy grinned. "Share your personal biz, dude."

"You saw Mr. Pines and me?" Alane asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise. Hm. She must've been mid-panic at the time and missed her.

"Yeah, dude. Where were you two going?"

"Well," Alane said, fidgeting a little bit. "You're not gonna believe me, but we were sorta being arrested... By the US government."

"Whoa, what?" Wendy asked in surprise. Nate and Lee glanced over at them as Thompson climbed into the grave. "Are you being serious?"

"One hundred percent," Alane replied. "You know Stanford, right? The guy who told Mabel we needed unicorn hair?" Wendy nodded. "Well he was trapped someplace and Mr. Pines was trying to get him back here. But he had to fix Stanford's machine to do it, and he, well, stole some stuff from a government facility to power it up. That's why he was arrested."

"And why were you?" Wendy asked.

"You like a fugitive or something, kid?" Robbie asked. He and Tambry were now listening to her.

"It's an incredibly long story that I'd really rather not get into," Alane said simply.

"Okay, I get it," Wendy said. "But at least tell us how you guys got out of prison so quickly. Did you two like, burrow out of the place using only spoons?"

"We actually escaped at the police station during that bout of random anti-gravity," Alane said. "I'm not sure how Mr. Pines got out, but I wasn't guarded, so when things started flying around I just threw a table at the door to bust it down. Then we left together and got back to the Mystery Shack.

"When we got there, Mr. Pines powered up the machine, saved his brother, and Dipper used this memory eraser gun thing he had to make the government agents forget about us. End of story."

The teenagers looked at her with varying impressed expressions, until Robbie let out a huff and blew some of his black hair out of his face. "Yeah, right. Bet you just made all that up or whatever. Like you and that old dude actually got arrested, let alone broke out of the police station. And a memory gun? Seriously?"

"The memory gun is real," Wendy said, glancing over at him. "The twins, me, Soos and Old Man McGucket found it when we were trying to do something. There was a whole secret society and stuff. It was real weird."

"I was just visiting McGucket today," Alane said, looking at Wendy curiously. "He mentioned having lost his memories. Did he get shot with their gun?"

"No dude, he _made_ the gun," Wendy said. "Started the whole society. But he kept erasing his mind and eventually went nuts. But we found his stored memories and helped him to remember a bit."

"What were you doing, visiting Old Man McGucket?" Robbie asked, sitting up. "Like, I get why Wendy was hanging out with him. Dipper's a weirdo and knows the guy, and Wendy was probably babysitting him or something. But c'mon, the guy's old and nuts, why hang out with him if you don't have to?"

"Fiddleford is not nuts, he just doesn't remember who he used to be anymore," Alane said defensively. "The man is lonely and confused, and doesn't need to receive more grief about his current state from you guys."

"Whoa, chill out, kid," Lee said with an awkward smile. "You're acting like you're friends with the guy."

"We are friends. Is that so bad?" Alane asked, a hint of anger in her voice.

Robbie laughed as Tambry sat up besides him, too focused on her phone to even notice what was happening. "Yeah, it is."

"I definitely wouldn't want to hang out with him," Nate added.

"Yeah, it's old and crazy," Lee said.

"The guy _is_ pretty weird," Wendy added hesitantly, not meeting Alane's eyes. 

"You can't be friends with old sacks of crazy if you want to keep hanging with us," Robbie said smugly.

Anger had slowly been building up inside of Alane as her "friends" voiced their opinions on Fiddleford. The light of the sun setting behind the mountains shone on her face, making her look a little demonic as she stood up, angrily clenching her fists.

"Have any of you even taken the chance to get to know the man?" She asked, looking around at them. "Or you all just judging him based on the fact that he has no home, that he has serious amnesia, that he isn't the definition of normal?

"If you all just spoke to the guy, you'd understand him more. But no- you guys go and graffiti his little shack in the dump because you feel like vandalizing the only thing he can call his own anymore. It was you guys, wasn't it?" Robbie, Nate and Lee looked away.

"I can't tell you guys about my past. I just can't; nothing good would come of it," Alane continued. "But I can tell you that Fiddleford McGucket and I have history, and he was not always like this. He used to be one of the smartest and most talented people I knew. That I had the _privilege_ of knowing. And I think he can be again, he just needs some help. But you guys are definitely not doing him any good, sitting around talking about how 'crazy' he is."

"Wait a second," Wendy said, standing up as well. "How do you two have history? Old Man McGucket has been living in the dump since I was little, and I had never seen you until like two weeks ago. Not to mention, my dad says he's been crazy for even longer than I've been alive."

Robbie was next to stand, followed by the others. Thompson just peeked out from the grave. "Yeah, and how come you can't tell us about your past?" Robbie asked, folding his arms. "What are you hiding?"

 _This cannot be happening,_ Alane thought as panic set in and everyone stared at her. _Not so soon after the Pines family finding out. Oh, why am I so bad at hiding things? And now what am I going to do? What do I tell everyone? That I'm actually older than their great grandparents and not even human?_

"I-I, uh, I," Alane stammered, eyes wide and scared like a deer in the headlights, and just as frozen as one. _Oh, what do I do, what do I do?_

"Guys, what do you think Alane is hiding?" Thompson asked, climbing out of the grave. "I mean, my sister has been friends with her since she got here, and from what Grenda says she's alright. Plus, does she _look_ older than any of us?"

"Dude, she's hiding something from us, can't you see that?" Nate said, looking at Thompson as the guy brushed dirt from his clothes. "How can she have history with Old Man McGucket?"

Tambry glanced up from her phone. "Has it occurred to any of you they may be related?" She asked before looking back down. "Like, that could be what she means."

" _Are_ you guys related?" Lee asked Alane skeptically.

"W-well, no, n-not e-exactly," Alane stuttered, instantly cursing herself. She should've just lied and said she was his great niece or something!

Panic had just about over taken her, and when Alane glanced down at her hands, she saw the eyes on her palms were open. Fear shot through her, and she realized she had to leave before the rest of the change started.

"You know what?" Alane said with a crooked smile as everyone continued to throw questions at her. "I'm just gonna leave. Yeah, I forgot I had things to do today before the Pines family gets back. Yup, tons of stuff to do. See you guys-"

Alane had been gesturing over her shoulder and about to turn around when Wendy grabbed her by the arm. "Holdup," Wendy said, keeping a hold on Alane's arm with one hand and using the other to pry open the girl's clenched fist. When her eyes met the yellow one on her palm, she gasped. "Is that what I think it is?"

 _Oh my gosh, how did she see it?_ Alane thought, freezing up as Wendy and the others gathered around her hand to look at the eye. _Did I expose it with that gesture?_

"What exactly _do_ you think it is?" Alane asked, frantically searching for a way out of the situation.

"Looks like a tattoo to me, and a stupid one," Robbie said.

Tambry took a picture on her phone then began to type. "Weird kid has weirder eye tattoo," she said as she typed.

"It looks like Bill's eye to me," Wendy said, looking at Alane questioningly.

"Wow- does _everyone_ know Bill in this town?" Alane exclaimed, pulling her arm away from Wendy and backing up from the teenagers.

"It is Bill then, right?" Wendy asked as the others looked at each other in confusion. "Why do you have a tattoo of his eye? And how do you even know the triangle dude?"

"First off, it's not Bill's eye," Alane said, rolling her own eyes as she rubbed her palm warily. "It's just an eye that's yellow, that's it. And how I know him is my business, and mine alone. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm leaving." Alane began to walk away with her hands in her pockets.

"Whoa, wait a second-" Wendy began to say, taking a step towards her, but Alane cut her off by turning around.

"What? What do you want from me?" Alane asked in exasperation. "You've seen the tattoos, you know I'm friends with Fiddleford, you know Mr. Pines and I were arrested. What else do you want to know? How I made the unicorn break down?"

Anger was beginning to replace panic, and she knew that she had to get out of there quick, but she was getting annoyed. " _This_ is how I did it!" She said a little louder than intended before turning to her right, raising a fist and throwing a punch at a gravestone. 

The faded granite was obliterated at the impact of her fist, hunks of stone flying this way and that. The only thing still left was the base of it and the date that showed however long the person had lived.

As Wendy and the others stared in shock, Alane brushed dust from her knuckles as they slowly knitted up where the rock had cut her. She looked back up at them, eyes not quite black, but not the usual light blue either. "There, you guys happy?" She asked, voice devoid of emotion now.

When the teenagers didn't respond, she huffed before turning around and walking away once again.

She only let herself start to run once she was out of sight of the group.


	38. Chapter Thirty-Five

"Calm down, calm down, calm down, calm down..." Alane muttered.

She had run into the forest the second she was out of sight of the teenagers, running until she reached a stream that trickled from a crack in the mountain. There she now crouched in the light of the moon, right at the edge of the water, hands over her ears and eyes wide, black and full of panic. 

_How did I let this happen again?_ She wondered as she tried to steady her breathing. _So soon after last time too. If I keep this up, I may die of exhaustion..._

Scary thing was, dying didn't sound too bad at the moment.

 _I just need to calm myself down,_ Alane reminded herself. _If I calm down, I won't change, I won't destroy stuff. Just... Calm... Down..._

Alane took a few deep breaths, and she felt the change slowly beginning to ebb away. After about ten minutes, she stopped her breathing exercise and looked at her palms. Relief washed over her when she saw the eyes had closed. She was back to normal again.

The position she was currently in, and had been for about twenty minutes, was extremely uncomfortable. She shifted herself so that she was sitting cross-legged on the rocky ground then breathed a sigh as she watched the water flow in front of her.

"I've really messed up," she murmured, putting her face in her hands. "I used to be so good at keeping what I am a secret, and now basically everyone I've met here knows. Not to mention anyone who sees Tambry's post with my tattoos... I may have to leave town again just to be safe."

She sighed. "No, I can't. I promised Mabel I'd stay until they get back, and that's not until sometime tomorrow or the next day... I'll just have to avoid people until I see her, then I can tell her what happened and how I have to leave. Easy. Mabel should understand."

Alane got up and left after that. On the way back into town, she rehearsed what she'd say to Mabel in her head. Though, honestly, nothing sounded quite right to her.

The crescent moon was high in the sky by the time she got back into town, must've been about seven or eight already. She found town deserted, aside from a few stragglers near the bar, and made her way quickly to the inn.

Once in her room, she flopped onto her bed with a sigh, completely exhausted, both mentally and psychically. She fell asleep within seconds.

 

It occurred to Alane the next morning that most of her clothes were really dirty. She hadn't really done any laundry since arriving in Gravity Falls. So, since she had nothing else to do while she waited for Mabel, Alane put her used clothing in a bag and went to the local laundromat.

At about seven in the morning, Alane arrived at the building just as the manager unlocked the front door. After greeting the old woman, she walked over to the nearest washing machine to start her load of laundry.

She dumped her bag of clothes into the machine; her original sweater, the one she wore yesterday, and the white one with the brown panda, along with her other articles of clothing, then started the machine up.

"Now... To wait around until it's done," she mused, walking over to a bench by the wall and sitting down.

Today, she was wearing another one of the sweaters Mabel had gotten for her. It was a dark magenta color with stripes of dark blue, pink and neon green. It was really comfortable, but the green actually hurt to look at. Along with this, she had on a pair of black jean shorts and her usual black boots.

Alane sat there for a few minutes doing nothing at first. After awhile though, she pulled out her phone and typed in the password.

The screen lit up with yellow as her background loaded, just a plain picture of yellow with a sunflower at a corner. This was followed by her apps, just a couple games like Solitaire, Frogger and Mine Sweeper, the app for internet and another for game installation.

Not being interested in her current games, she clicked the last app and was brought to a "play store", where she was shown dozens of games and apps.

 _Hm? What's this?_ She wondered, seeing an app with a picture of a book on it in the "popular" selection. The app was titled "Video Diary." Alane clicked it.

"'Create diary entries on your phone or device by recording yourself and talking- no typing or writing required,'" she read. 

Her phone was definitely more secure than her diary, not to mention she was running out of room in the book anyway...

She pressed the install button. Might as well give it a try.

During the next few minutes, she browsed other games and such, but only installed one other. The description said it was about collecting cats or something, and she figured it'd be a cute game to play.

The cat collector game thing was still installing when the washing machine beeped. Alane pocketed her phone before getting up to put her clothes in the drier. As she started up the other machine however, Alane glanced over at the store's window and spotted two very familiar twins walking down the road.

A smile broke out over Alane's face upon spotting Mabel, and when the drier started up, she rushed out to meet the two.

Mabel and Dipper turned her way when she opened the storefront's door and the bell chimed. Mabel smiled happily, though Dipper seemed indifferent about seeing her.

"Hey, Alane!" Mabel said happily, meeting the girl half way. "You'll never guess what happened at the last tourist trap!"

"What happened?" She asked with an amused grin.

"Grunkle Stan was almost eaten alive by a spider woman!" Mabel said excitedly. "But we saved him, and Candy saved all of us with stuff she'd read about in travel pamphlets!"

"Oh wow. Sounds real exciting," Alane said, a genuine look of amazement on her face. 

"So what'd you do while we were gone?" Mabel asked.

"Oh, far more boring stuff," she said with a shrug. "Visited with Fiddleford for awhile, met this real bratty girl named Pacifica... Oh, and I hang out with Wendy and her friends." Alane rubbed her neck awkwardly. "That... Didn't go too well."

Dipper sighed. "What happened?"

"Well, we were hanging out in the graveyard when Wendy started asking me a ton of questions," Alane said. "I, you know, answered things as well as I could, but then McGucket was mentioned and everyone got really rude...

"I, uh, well, broke a gravestone in half right in front of them," Alane said, awkwardly tapping her index fingers together. "They also all saw my tattoo things and Tambry took a picture of them and posted it on social media."

"You didn't hurt anyone, did you?" Mabel asked worriedly.

"No, but pretty sure I scared them, and they all probably realize I'm not human now," Alane said sadly. "Probably going to have to leave soon because of it."

"What if we explained things to them and get them to understand?" Dipper offered after seeing the stricken look on his sister's face. "Our birthday is in a week and Mabel was really hoping you'd be here for it."

"Talking to them may help, but Tambry also posted that picture to social media," Alane said worriedly. "Unless you guys can get it taken down, or pass it off as a joke or something, then I can be traced back here and we'd have to repeat that whole thing with the government agents."

Dipper snapped his fingers together before folding his arms, a look on his face that suggested he was thinking. "I can't hang around long- Great Uncle Ford needs my help with things today. But once we finish up, I'll find the guys and explain things to them?" He offered.

"That'd be great, thanks," Alane said with a thin smile. Dipper gave her a similar grin in return before waving to his sister and walking back towards the Mystery Shack. After he'd gone pretty far, Alane looked at Mabel. "Is it just me, or is your brother a lot more likable all of the sudden?"

Mabel waved a hang dismissively. "Don't let him fool you, he's just acting more confident or whatever now. Still the same Dipper on the inside though." Mabel looked over at Alane hesitantly. "Hey, you _are_ gonna be here for our birthday, right? As long as this thing gets sorted out?"

"Definitely," she replied with a smile. "Only reason I _wouldn't_ be here would be because I was arrested or dead. Actually, no, if I died I'd still show up."

The girl smiled before gesturing over to the laundromat. "You doing stuff this morning?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah," Alane said, glancing over her shoulder at the building. "Just catching up with laundry. I should probably go finish up, or I'll forget about it entirely." She looked back at Mabel. "Catch you later?"

"Of course," Mabel said happily. "I'm gonna be in town for a few hours, getting stuff set up for mine and Dipper's party. When you're done, stop by the school or Grenda's house! I'll either be reserving the gym or planning everything out with the gals."

"Alright, I'll remember to come by," Alane said, giving Mabel a little wave as she turned around and went back into the building. After she entered, Mabel set off further into town.

Alane did her best to hurry with folding laundry after taking it out of the dryer, but she had had to wait a good ten minutes for it to finish up to begin with. By the time her clothes were back in the bag and she left the building, Mabel wasn't in sight anymore.

Not wanting to lug around her laundry all day, Alane returned to the inn and dropped her things off in her room. Before she left, she got changed back into her original clothes, having been missing her old hand-knitted sweater.

Besides, if she was run out of town because Wendy and the gang told everyone she was a monster, she wouldn't be able to grab anything. There was no _way_ she was leaving behind her sweater.

So, once she was changed, Alane left the inn and set off towards the high school.


	39. Chapter Thirty-Six

Dipper walked back towards the Mystery Shack with a spring in his step and a smile on his face.

Why the smile? Because Ford had asked him specifically to help out that morning with the rift. His smile grew as he recalled what had happened before he and Mabel had left the house...

Mabel had woken him up in the usual way when it grew close to their birthday- with a face on her chin she called Mr. Upside-Downington. He'd been exhausted after driving so late the day before, but had gone along with her excitement. After all, they _were_ turning thirteen in a week, might as well get excited about it.

After breakfast, they'd gotten right to party planning. "Alright, party planners. In one week we become teenagers, and our summer vacation winds to an end. So we need to throw the greatest party of all time! I'm talking piñatas with tinier piñatas inside!" Mabel had said.

"Boom, dreams comin' true!" Soos exclaimed, pouring tiny piñatas into a larger one.

"I'm talking inviting everyone in town. Let's see, where do we stand with the gnomes?" Mabel asked Dipper.

"Not so fast, goofus and girl-goofus," Stan had said as he entered the room. "After that zombie indecent, no one's throwing another party at my house. I keep finding little bits of the undead in the couch cushions." Just to prove it, Stan lifted up the cushion on his seat and withdrew a severed arm.

"But Grunkle Stan, we need some roof to raise," Mabel protested.

"Dude, you could rent out the Gravity Falls Highschool gym, and have your party there. That place is empty all summer long," Soos suggested.

"The gym's a great idea, Soos. To the high school!" Mabel declared.

Not even a second after Mabel's shout, the entire house shook, startling everyone in the room. The quake was followed by Ford's loud voice coming from another room, "Dipper, my face is on fire!" He yelled.

"I'll just be a sec," Dipper said apologetically to his sister before taking off to Ford's room. He ran down the hall then burst through the door, worry on his face. "Great Uncle Ford, are you okay?"

Ford was wiping off his face, which was smoking, with a towel. "Oh yes, I'm fine. I just said that to make sure you'd come in here quickly," his grunkle replied with a smile.

"But your face _is_ on fire," Dipper had pointed out.

"Yes, it's much faster than shaving. Now, listen, Dipper. I have a very important mission, and you are the only one who can help me." Ford paused, withdrawing the rift from his coat pocket. "Remember the rift in dimensional space-time I showed you? It's cracking." He pointed to the crack that ran down the glass. 

"This is what Bill has been waiting for. If it breaks, it will cause reality as we know it to completely unravel. A hypothetical and catastrophic event I call Weirdmageddon." Ford motioned to a blackboard behind him, which depicted the events in more detail. "Bill is out there, and he'd use any trick, from deception to outright possession, to make this happen. But for the sake of humanity, we mustn't let it."

"What do we do?" Dipper had asked.

"We patch the rift. I'll explain on the way," Ford said, pocketing the rift once more.

"Actually, wait," Dipper said. Ford had looked at him questioningly, and the boy had taken a deep breath. "I can't come with you. At least, not right now."

"Why's that, my boy?" Ford asked, puzzled.

"I told Mabel I'd help her out with planning our party today, and I can't just tell her I, well, can't anymore."

"This is a gravely serious matter, Dipper. One far more important than party planning," Ford said. "Your sister will understand."

"Can I at least walk her into town?" Dipper asked. "Alane's probably still staying there, and I want to make sure she's still stable before Mabel starts with her preparations and stuff."

Ford sighed. "Ah yes, Alane... Yes, yes, you'd better go with her to make sure things are safe. Just, hurry back Dipper. Weirdmageddon won't wait for anyone."

"I'll hurry, I promise," Dipper had said with a small smile before rushing out of the room, intending on finding Mabel in the living room and telling her his new plans. But Mabel was actually waiting just outside.

"Thanks for saying you'll come along with me," she said with a small smile.

"You don't mind then? That I won't be helping you out today?"

"We're going to be doing birthday junk all week. Besides, I packed us some Walkie-Talkies. Just keep me up to date on what you guys are doing so I know you two aren't dying or whatever while the gals and me make party invitations."

Mabel had proceeded to take the Walkie-Talkies from her backpack and hand him one. He looked down at it now in his hands, his excitement turning into nerves. "Okay, Dipper. It's your first big mission with Ford. A chance to prove yourself. Don't mess this up," he muttered determinedly as the Mystery Shack came into view.

In front of the shack, Ford stood, looking impatient. He was tapping his foot and his arms were crossed. Ford was shaking his head in frustration when Dipper called out to him, catching the man's attention.

Relief washed over the man's face. "Good, good, you're finally here. Now, we must be going; the crack has gotten bigger, and we haven't much time." Ford grabbed him by the arm and started leading him towards the forest at a brisk walk.

"So, what do we need to do?" Dipper asked when Ford finally let go of his arm as the two stepped on a path, leading in the direction of the Floating Cliffs.

"I'll get to that soon. But first, tell me, was Alane stable? Has she had a breakdown, or even gotten close to one?" Ford asked.

"She said she'd been fine, until..." Dipper trailed off.

"Until what, Dipper?" Ford demanded, looking at him from the corner of his eye as he continued to walk. 

"Well, she was hanging out with Wendy and her friends the other day when they started saying mean stuff about Old Man McGucket," Dipper said, noticing Ford raise his eyebrows at the familiar last name. "She said she didn't freak out, but she got really mad and broke a gravestone in front of them."

"So they know what she is now?" Ford questioned.

Dipper nodded after a moment, but then shook his head. "I don't think they know a lot. Like, they probably think something's up or wrong with Alane, but I don't think they would've jumped to the conclusion that she isn't human so soon."

"Alright good," Ford said. "If it's not an urgent matter, then I can see to erasing their minds of the mishap later."

"Wait- erase their minds?" Dipper asked in shock.

Ford nodded, his expression grave. "Teenagers tell people about these things; they spread rumors. If they do that, Alane could be traced here and be in serious danger. Whether it be paranormal investigators, conspiracy theorists or more government agents, anyone interested in what Alane can do is a threat to her emotional stability. And if she breaks down when a lot of people are around her..." He trailed off, but Dipper got the picture.

The boy took a moment to process this before saying, "Alright, so again, what are we doing? How are we going to seal the crack?"

"In order to seal the rift for good, it's going to take an adhesive stronger than anything on earth. Something... Extraterrestrial in origin," Ford said as they left the cover of the woods and emerged on a small hill.

"W-What do you mean?" Dipper stammered.

At the top of the hill, Ford crouched down by Dipper and motioned to the cliff faces in the distance. "Dipper, look at the peculiar shape made by those cliffs. Does it remind you of anything?"

"Hmm..." Dipper murmured, thinking. The cliffs didn't look like much to him. Just, you know, cliffs.

When he took too long to respond, Ford pulled out his keys. He held them in front of Dipper's face, letting the trinket on the key chain fall from his grasp and dangle in front of the boy's eyes.

The plastic UFO lined up perfectly with the shape of the cliffs

Dipper gasped quietly. "Shut. Up."

"According to my research, the entire valley of Gravity Falls was formed when an extraterrestrial object crash-landed here millions of years ago. Did this craft cause the town's strange properties? Or, did the town's strange properties attract the craft? The answer is still unknown." Ford stood up and held his hands behind his back.

"But, that's crazy! Where did the saucer go?"

"Sometimes the strangest things in the world are right under our noses." Ford walked over to a rock a few steps away. After pushing it, he exposed a metal trapdoor. "And our feet, in this particular instance. Now you might wanna stand back. This magnet gun can rip the fillings out of a man's mouth from a hundred feet."

Dipper obeyed as Ford pulled a high-tech-looking gun from his coat and aimed it at the door. He pulled the gun's trigger and the door flew off it's hinges with ease. "Whoa," Dipper breathed in awe.

"I used to raid this thing for parts for years. Where do you think I got the materials to build my portal?" Ford asked with a hearty laugh.

Dipper peered into the dark obis that was the inside of the UFO. "You... I... Words... Not working for mouth," he stuttered to get out, pulling at the sides of his hat.

"Now come. Take this," Ford said, tossing Dipper a magnet gun identical to the one he held. 

He scrambled to catch the gun. "Whoa, whoa!"

Meanwhile, Ford was already climbing down the ladder. "Don't worry, I've been down here countless times; all the aliens have been dead for millions of years," he said as his head disappeared from view. He appeared a second later though, his eyes narrowed. "Probably." He then began to climb down again.

Taking a deep breath, Dipper put the gun in his vest pocket before following Ford down the ladder.


	40. Chapter Thirty-Seven

Alane arrived at the Gravity Falls High School, outside of which a sigh read "No Escape" in bold, black letters. She frowned to herself upon seeing it before walking over to the already open gym doors and entering the building.

Inside, teenagers and teachers milled about or stood in lines or behind fold out tables. Alane spotted Wendy and the others further inside and, not knowing who else to speak to, she walked over to them after taking a deep breath.

The group had been mid-conversation when Alane had walked in, but now stopped dead as Alane grew near. Even Tambry stared at her worriedly, not even glancing at her phone.

Alane sighed heavily, annoyed by their evident fear of her. "I'm looking for Mabel," she said. "Any of you seen her?"

"Why should we tell you?" Robbie asked with fake gusto.

"She wanted me to meet her here to help with planning her party, but if she's not here I gotta go somewhere else and find her," Alane replied evenly.

"How do we know you aren't lying?" Wendy asked, folding her arms and staring Alane down. "How do we know you don't wanna do something to her?"

"Not that I enjoy violence, but I'd sooner do something to you guys rather than her," Alane pointed out. Wendy stiffened at this where as the others looked at each other nervously. "I just need to help the kid with her party stuff, so can you _please_ tell me if she's already been here?"

Wendy was silent a long moment before nodding. "She's already come and gone," she said. "Like five minutes before you got here. She was really bummed that high school isn't how she imagined it."

"Thank you," Alane said curtly, turning on her heel and heading towards the doors once more.

Guess she was off to Grenda's now.

 

"I can't believe there's been a giant UFO under the town this whole time," Dipper commented as he and Ford walked along a hall inside of the craft. Everything in the saucer was completely high-tech looking, and though they'd been down there for awhile already, it still awed him.

"I wish my mind could be where yours' is right now, Dipper. When confirmation of extraterrestrials still had that punch. Now it's just sort of 'eh,'" Ford sighed. "McGucket and I used to come down here all the time to raid their tech and study their language."

"This is so cool!" Dipper said, pausing to take a picture of himself in front of some alien writing on the wall.

"The substance we need to seal the rift is an alien adhesive. Strong enough to keep the hull of a spacecraft together. Just one dollop of this adhesive should be enough to seal a crack in space-time. Also, if it touches you it will seal up all the orifices in your face." They had stopped by a pillar than led further down into the craft, and Ford now pointed his magnet gun at it. "So try to avoid that. Now, use your magnet gun and follow me. Hup!" Ford jumped, the magnet gun attaching to the pillar as he slid down it.

Dipper gasped. "Great Uncle Ford!"

"Your turn!" Ford's voice echoed from the darkness below. "Say 'hup!' It helps!"

Dipper took a deep breath. "Okay. Just turn on magnet, leap down hole. Turn on..." He fiddled with the gun, but it wouldn't work. "C'mon already." The gun suddenly whirred to life. "Magnet." He jumped towards the pillar- but instead was brought up to the ceiling by the gun. "Ah!"

Hanging there, a good twenty feet from where he'd just been, Dipper glanced over at where Ford had just gone. "Uh, a little help?" He called.

 

Grenda's house was all the way across town, and Alane had to walk the entire way on foot. By the time she was walking up the steps and knocking on the front door, she felt as if she were about to pass out.

When Grenda and Candy opened up the front door, Alane was leaning up against a wall trying to catch her breath. "Hey, Alane," Grenda greeted. "You here for the one-o'clock boy talk?"

 _Oh wow, is it already one in the afternoon?_ She thought in surprise as she shook her head. "Nah," she said breathlessly. "I'm looking for Mabel; supposed to help with her party stuff. She here?"

"Mabel just left," Candy said sadly. "She was upset that Grenda and me won't be in town for her birthday party. I believe she went home."

"Alright, thanks anyway," Alane said with a thin smile, walking back down the sidewalk and to the road.

 _Looks like it's back across town and even further now,_ she thought with a groan, beginning to walk down the road once more. _I really need to get a licence again. Or like a bike or something..._

 

"This is their storage facility. This place would've been heavily guarded, but now everything's defunct. Go ahead, flip any switch. They've all been busted for millions of years," Ford said as he and Dipper walked through a new room, now that they'd gotten Dipper off the ceiling.

Dipper looked over the wall of buttons, gingerly pressing one at random. Nothing seemed to happen, so he continued on with Ford.

"The glue should be around here somewhere, so keep your eyes peeled." Dipper did as his uncle said and began to search the room. After watching him for a moment, Ford said, "Dipper, let me ask you something. Have you thought much about your future?"

"No, not really. I mean, beyond graduating high school with a high GPA so I can get accepted to a good technical college with a photography and media production minor to start my own ghost hunting show." He gave a little shrug.

Ford let out a loud laugh. "It's like talking to a younger version of myself," he said with a smile. "If you're so sure of what you want out of life, why wait? Why put up with the drudgery of school?"

"Heh. Trust me, I'd love to fast-forward the whole thing, but it's not like I have a choice." He halfheartedly moved over a large piece of metal to look for the adhesive.

Ford let out a sigh, wringing his hands out in front of him. "Dipper, I've been thinking. I'm getting too old to investigate Gravity Falls on my own. I need to train an apprentice to help me fight monsters, solve mysteries, and protect this town. And I think I'd- I'd like to keep it in the family."

"What are you saying?" Dipper asked, wide-eyed as he turned back to his uncle.

"I've read your additions to my journal and I'm impressed with your potential. What would you say to staying in Gravity Falls after the summer ends and becoming my apprentice?"

"W-What about school?" He stammered.

"Dipper, I have twelve PhDs. Your parents would be thrilled I could give you such an advanced education," Ford pointed out.

"There's also Mabel. She'd be all alone in California," Dipper sighed. He couldn't leave his sister behind. Could he?

Ford waved a hand dismissively. "Mabel will be fine on her own. She has a magnetic personality. I watched her become pen pals with the pizza delivery man in the sixty seconds he was at the door."

"Gosh, we've never really been apart before..."

"And isn't it suffocating?" Ford asked, a pleading tone in his voice. "Dipper, can you honestly tell me you never felt like you were meant for something more?"

"I-I dunno. Sounds like a dream come true, but I'm not sure I have what it takes. I was tricked by Bill, I was wrong about Stan's portal. Heck, I can't even operate this magnet gun right." Just to demonstrate, he tried to power the gun up. Only, it worked on the first try this time, and a large chunk of metal was suddenly attached to it. As Dipper tried to pry it off, a pink ooze began to seep from a crack in it.

"Ha! Yes! Dipper, you've found the adhesive!" Ford said happily, walking over to him.

"I did?" Dipper asked in shock, looking at the piece of metal.

"Hoho, you really did it, kid. Huddle in, let's get a picture of this," Ford said happily, bending down to get a picture of them on his camera. Only, he froze up as he suddenly heard a noise.

"Uh, Grunkle Ford, you said everything in here is dead, right?" Dipper whispered, fear shooting through him as Ford stood and pulled out his real, not-magnetic gun.

"Yes. Unless somehow we've reactivated the-." He gasped. "Security system!"

As he said this, two security droids emerged from the hall they'd just walked down. They were large, round robots that floated about a foot off the ground and scanned the area with a light they shone.

"What do we do?!" Dipper exclaimed shrilly.

Still aiming the gun at the droids, Ford said, "Listen to me very carefully: I've studied these; they're security droids and they detect adrenaline. You simply have to not feel any fear and they won't see you."

 _"What?!"_ Dipper screamed as fear pounded inside of him. _How am I going to do this?_ He wondered haplessly.

Ford was the picture of calm. "It's okay. I've done it before. Just take a deep breath, focus on your intellect, and control your fear."

"Huh-wha-wha-wha- that's crazy! I-" _How do you focus on your intellect?!_

"Follow my lead!"

"Great Uncle Ford!"

"Focus, Dipper!"

The droids floated over to Ford, stopping right in front of them. They scanned his heartbeat, and apparently finding it to be calm, moved on to Dipper.

"Wha- I-uh. I-I-uh..." Dipper stuttered, looking for a way to escape as the droids read his heartbeat.

One of the droids produced a gun and aimed it directly at Dipper, who stood there shaking.

"I can't!" Dipper exclaimed, closing his eyes.

"Get down!" Ford yelled, tackling the boy to the ground as the droid fired the weapon. 

Ford stood up a second later, raising his gun and firing at the droid. It destroyed the machine, blowing it apart, but not before it got off one more shot, one that hit Ford and knocked him to the ground. The other droid produced a mechanical arm and dragged the man towards him.

"Uh! No! Noooooo!" Ford yelled.

"Wait, no!" Dipper shouted, trying to run after the droid and Ford, but tripping in the process.

"Stay back! It's too dangerous! Sealing the rift is what's important now! Take this!" Ford commanded, sliding the rift over to Dipper as the droid lifted him up.

The droid split apart, exposing an empty space inside of it, where it then placed Ford. It shut too quickly for him to be able to jump out, and instead the man banged his fist against a clear section of the droid in front of his face.

"You're gonna have to do it without me! Use the adhesive! Fix the rift! Save the universe, Dipper!" Ford shouted, and then the droid flew down the tunnel it had come from.

"Great Uncle Ford!" Dipper shouted, chasing after the droid. "Hang on, I'm coming for you!" As he ran, he put the rift in his backpack. "Don't worry! I'll get you out of there!"

The droid went through a saucer-shaped door. Dipper jumped through it before it shut, entering a room that glowed with a purple light. A map appeared in front of him as the droid floated up into the air, a large, red flashing X on it.

"Where is that thing taking you?" Dipper yelled to his uncle.

Dipper couldn't see his uncle, but he heard his voice. "It's an automated prison droid! And wherever it's going, I'm not coming back!"

"What?!" Dipper gasped as the ceiling to the room opened up, exposing the sky which was growing orange as sunset neared.

"No, no, no... Don't worry, I'll think of something!" Dipper yelled, running to the space below the droid.

"Dipper! What on earth are you doing?!"

Dipper pulled a roll of duct tape from his backpack and frantically put tape around the gun and his hand so he wouldn't lose his grip. "Hold on, Great Uncle Ford," he muttered.

The droid hovered below the opening as a digital clock slowly counted down.

"I'm getting you out of this, one way or another!" Dipper said, aiming the gun at the droid and shooting. Only, it didn't work. "Oh no!"

The countdown reached zero. Dipper hit the gun with a fist in frustration, trying to get it to work. Sparks flew from it, and then suddenly Dipper was flying through the air, attaching to the droid by means of the gun just as it blasted off.

Dipper screamed as the droid crashed through a grate above the opening. His hat flew off, and he grabbed it quickly before beginning to pound desperately on the droid which shook and beeped with each hit. "Let go of my uncle!"

The droid swerved around in the air as Dipper let out a harsh scream. It flew through the crack in the cliffs, through the waterfall and through the water tower. It bumped in the air, and to Dipper's horror, he saw Ford through the clear panel slide against the droid, having been knocked unconscious.

"Ah! Great Uncle Ford! Okay, let's try: magnet pulse!" Dipper said, eyes wide and scared as he turned a knob on the gun.

Suddenly, the droid began to plummet to the ground. Dipper let out a shrill scream as it crashed into trees before making contact with the ground and sliding about fifty feet. Dipper fell off behind it, the duct tape having torn. He lay there in the dirt, moaning and bruised.

It took a second for Dipper to regain himself, but when he did he was up on his feet and running to the droid. "Oh no!" He exclaimed, pounding on the glass. Dipper pried open the droid and ran into Ford, who was still unconscious. "Oh no no no no! Come on, wake up, man!"

Dipper dragged him from the destroyed droid. "We gotta get out of here before-" 

The boy cut himself off when he spotted a third droid floating towards him and his uncle. It began to scan Dipper.

"Hey, uh, I'm warning you! I have a magnet gun!" Dipper threatened, raising the gun that still had shredded duct tape on it.

In response, the droid produced a gun about five times the size and aimed it at Dipper.

"Oh yeah!? You think you can scare me!? Do your worst! Nothing in this universe is gonna take away my uncle! So go ahead! Give me what you've got!" Dipper yelled at the droid as he walked closer to it.

The droid continued to scan Dipper's heartbeat. Dipper stared at it defiantly for a full minute, willing it to try and get to Ford so he could shoot. But, after a moment, it retracted the large gun and stopped scanning him. It then powered down, thudding to the earth.

"Ahahaha! Oh-" Dipper turned around to see Ford, who had cut himself off to let out a harsh cough. "Oh, I thought I was a goner, kid." He coughed again.

"Oh, are you alright? What happened?" Dipper asked as he ran back to his uncle and helped him to his feet.

Ford leaned up against Dipper; he was even more bruised and dirty than the boy. "The- the orb didn't detect any chemical signs of fear. It- it assumed the threat was neutralized and self-disassembled." He let out a loud laugh.

"I- I did it?" Dipper asked, wide-eyed.

"You did it," Ford confirmed with a grin.

When Dipper was sure his uncle could stand on his own, he left the man's side and walked over to the droid. "This is what I was talking about. How many other twelve-year-olds do you think are capable of doing what you've just done?" Ford asked from behind him with a proud nod.


	41. Chapter Thirty-Eight

"Are you okay?" Dipper asked Ford once more.

"I'm fine," Ford replied with a smile. "Listen to me, Dipper: this town is a magnet for things that are special. And that includes you and me. It brought both of us here for a purpose! Stay here with me, Dipper. Become my apprentice. Don't let anyone hold you-" He coughed harshly.

"I'll do it; I'm gonna stay," Dipper said, offering his uncle a hand from the top of the ditch.

"Excellent." Ford took Dipper's hand and climbed out with some effort. "Now who wants to save the world, apprentice?"

The two walked off laughing, and Dipper was beginning to think the day couldn't get any better.

 

"Mabel!" Dipper said, bursting through the door to their attic bedroom. He was still dirty and bruised from his adventure, but he didn't care. "Mabel! I just had the best day of my life! UFOs are real and there's one under the town and I saved Great Uncle Ford's life and- and..." He trailed off when he noticed Mabel was lying on her bed, completely still and not acknowledging him. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Tell me it's not true, Dipper. Tell me you were joking," Mabel said pleadingly as she sat up, her Walkie-Talkie in hand, emitting static like Dipper's was still on. "Ford's apprentice? Seriously?"

 _It must've switched on in my backpack sometime when we were dealing with the droids,_ Dipper realized. "Look, I was thinking and... This is a huge opportunity for me," he said slowly to his sister as he slid his backpack to the floor.

"Well it's a horrible opportunity _for me!_ " Mabel shouted, catching him off-guard as she began to cry. She got off her bed before saying, "I had the worst day of my life! When we turn thirteen, the summer ends, and I have to leave everything behind. You're the only person I can count on and now _you're_ leaving me too!"

"Look, I've been thinking about it. I won't be gone forever, okay? I'll still visit you at home, and we'll chat online; we'll make it work," he said, desperately trying to calm his sister down.

"I don't want it to work. I just wish summer could last forever," Mabel said quietly.

Dipper walked over to his sister and put a reassuring arm around her. "But it can't, Mabel. Look, things aren't gonna stay frozen this way. It's part of growing up. Things change. Summer ends," he told her sadly.

But Mabel wasn't going to take that. She shoved Dipper aside with a strangled, teary yell and ran from the room, grabbing one of the two backpacks by the door as she left.

Dipper fell to the floor. "Mabel, wait! I didn't mean it like that! Mabel, come back!" He yelled. But she was already gone.

 

"Let me guess: Mabel didn't take it well?" Ford asked him as Dipper entered the lab below the shack.

"I don't know, maybe I'm making the wrong decision. I need to think about this," Dipper murmured quietly. He _did_ want to stay there in Gravity Falls for the year as Ford's apprentice, but... He didn't want to upset Mabel.

"Dipper, right now we need to focus on the mission. Now come on, I've got the glue; hand me the rift and let's make history." Ford held up the metal panel with the adhesive on it as he beckoned for Dipper to give him the rift.

Dipper pulled his backpack, which he'd picked up upon leaving the attic, around him and reached inside. Only, he found just a bunch of party supplies. He withdrew a birthday flyer that depicted him and Mabel. "What? Oh no! The rift!"

 

Alane walked along the dirt road to the Mystery Shack, utterly worn out. It was a little over four miles from Grenda's house to the Pines', and she'd had to walk the entire way. It had taken hours, and now sunset was nearing. She was seriously considering telling Mabel she'd have to take a rain check and see if Soos could give her a ride back into town.

As the shack came into view, Alane noticed two people rushing out from it. She was so tired, it took her a moment to even recognize the two as Dipper and Ford.

"What's going on?! What is that?!" Dipper was yelling as the wind picked up. Alane looked behind her to see what he and Ford were looking at; she let out a gasp.

High above the earth, actually right above town, up in the orange sky was an X-shaped gash in reality itself. It was black with multi-colored dots inside that sparkled like stars, and from it a strange glow emitted. As she watched, a very familiar looking yellow triangle rose up into the sky, cackling.

"We're too late! It's the end of the world," she heard Ford say to Dipper.

Alane's eyes were wide and full of shock as she stared at Bill. She turned around to look at Ford and Dipper in confusion. Only, it was at that moment that they noticed her. Alane locked eyes with them for a moment before turning around and sprinting back towards town, tiredness forgotten.


	42. Part Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, finally reached the last part!
> 
> Weirdmeggedon is about to start! The majority of the violence starts now~

Dipper and Ford stood outside of the Mystery Shack, staring at Alane as she retreated down the road. "So this is how the world ends. Not with a bang but with a... Boop-boop." He mused, making a gesture in the air. "I wonder if Alane had a hand in any of this."

"Weirdmageddon," Dipper breathed.

A flock of birds cawed loudly as they flew above Dipper and Ford. Animals followed on foot, and Dipper was knocked over by a deer. A few gnomes shouted at him as they scampered past.

Ford lifted Dipper back up. "The rift is shattered. Bill's world is spilling into ours and every minute his powers grow stronger."

"Mabel! The rift must have cracked inside her backpack. She must be in danger. I have to go find her!" Dipper exclaimed, trying to run off. He pulled out his Walkie-Talkie and shouted into it, "Mabel! Come in, Mabel! Mabel!"

But Ford stopped him, grabbing him from behind and turning him around. "Dipper. Listen to me. We can find your sister soon, but first we have to stop Bill. If we can blast him back through the rift he came out of, we just might be able to stop him before his weirdness spreads across the entire globe."

"Are you sure defeating Bill is even possible?"

"No. I'm not sure. But being a hero means fighting back even when it seems impossible. Will you follow me?"

"To the ends of the Earth."

"Good. Because that's where we're heading."

 

Alane was running full-speed towards the town. Her legs burned from over usage, but she pressed on, all the while trying to grasp what was happening.

 _What the heck is Bill even doing?_ She wondered haplessly as the sign for Gravity Falls came into view. _He never told me about this! Wait- is this what he's been planning for so long? Is this his project?_

She dashed by the sign, not even glancing at it as she passed. _Whatever he's doing, it can't be bad, right? Bill's a good guy. Demon. Thing. Whatever he is. He's watched over me my entire life- surely he's not the evil monster the Pines family thinks he is?_

Alane skidded to a halt in town square, where terrified townsfolk were standing around watching Bill and the group of monsters that had come out of the scar in the sky.

"Ready to cause some havoc, boys?" Bill was asking the monsters, who cheered gleefully.

"Bill!" Alane shouted as a car drove up behind her. She heard it stop near the clock tower. "What are you doing?"

"Hm?" Bill said, confused as to who was talking for a moment. But then his eye landed on Alane, who stared at him from down below. She wore a look that was a combination of anger and confusion. "Oh! It's you, kid! Come here to witness my plans unfold and weirdness consume the earth?"

"Bill, what is all this?" Alane asked, gesturing around her. Things that weren't supposed to be alive now were, like a bus stop sign and some video game characters. The game characters were destroying the arcade as they escaped from it. "You're destroying the town!"

"This, kid, is my brilliant plan," Bill said. As he did, he shrunk in size and flew down towards Alane. "We're gonna spread weirdness across the entire globe! Isn't it great? You've had a hand in making all this happen, you know."

"I-I," Alane stammered, looking at Bill. Suddenly, she was struck by more confusion. "How are you even doing all this?"

"Oh, it's all thanks to my new psychical form!" Bill said with a laugh. "When the rift was unleashed, I was able to cross into this dimension psychically. Now I can actually cause some real damage! Isn't it great?"

"No, Bill! None of this is great!" Alane exclaimed. "It's awful, what you're doing here! You need to stop!"

Bill sighed, putting one hand to his "face" and the other to his elbow. "Gosh, I really hoped you'd be happy about this. Oh, well. I don't really need you anymore, anyways." Bill suddenly began to grow once more, as he did he picked Alane up and turned to his monster friends.

"Guys!" He called, holding Alane out as she struggled in his grasp. "Let's hear a round of applause for this fleshbag here! None of this would be possible without her and my six-fingered friend."

The monsters began to applaud and whistle at Alane. "How did I have a hand in all this?" She demanded from Bill, staring at him defiantly. "I knew nothing about it!"

"Oh, it's an interesting thing, really," Bill mused. "Everything you've ever done has been to my benefit, believe it or not. But what really brought on this regards ol' Fordsy too."

As if on cue, there was a gasp from behind them. Bill whipped around and saw Ford hanging out of the clock tower by a hand as the bell behind him rang. "Woohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoo. I'm alive now," the bell said joyfully. Alane saw Ford's mouth moving, as if he were talking to someone still in the tower.

"Speak of the devil!" Bill said, reaching out with his other hand and picking up Ford. "You're just in time, Sixer! I was just about to talk about you."

"Put me down, you demon!" Ford said, struggling in his grasp as Alane and Bill watched him. _Must've been him in the car. What was he doing in the clock tower though?_ Alane thought.

From the corner of her eye as Bill turned back towards the monsters, Alane spotted the top of Dipper's hat still in the tower. "Okay, guys," Bill called out, holding out Alane and Ford. "Here are the _two_ people responsible for all this! It would've never been possible without them."

The monsters began to cheer again as Bill looked at both Ford and Alane. "Now your question, Alane? About how you're involved in all this?" Bill looked over at Ford. "It's because you _actually_ believed this guy tried to kill you!"

"Wait, what?" Alane asked in shock.

"Ford never tried to kill you, kid," Bill said, rolling his eye. "That whole thing with the dissection and you freaking out? That was just a dream I conjured up for you when you fell asleep in the woods while studying!"

"W-What about the government agents?" Alane asked. "They were real! We all saw them!"

"Oh, that was easy to do," Bill said dismissively. "I possessed a teacher at your school and had him give that report to the police. Your own paranoia and instability is what eventually led to the government being after you. Ford doesn't remember what happened because it _never actually happened!_ Isn't that great?"

"But why?" Alane asked shakily as Ford looked at her from Bill's other hand. "How has any of this helped you?"

"You and Sixer meeting jump started his interest in the paranormal, and eventually led to him building his portal," Bill said in a tone that suggested it was obvious. "And your instability and constant presence in his and his family's life made things chaotic. Making it easy for me to work on things without being noticed.

"Heck, even what you said to Shooting Star this morning was a help to me!" Bill laughed. "That bit about having to leave? It was the first upsetting thing to happen to her today, which essentially pushed her over the limit and made her give me the rift." Bill laughed again, very loudly. "It's pretty funny!"

Alane was having a full-out panic attack now. An actual one, not one that triggered the change. "W-What..." She stammered as she shook all over and fought to keep breathing evenly. "W-What else h-have y-you been lying t-to me a-about." 

"Oh, everything," Bill said with another laugh. "Actually everything. Mainly though? What you are."

"What am I-I?" She demanded, staring at his one eye.

Bill looked left and right, as if to make sure no one was listening, then said, "you're a human."

"You must be lying," Ford said as Alane paled. Bill looked over at him questioningly. "Alane cannot be human; she doesn't age like us, and she's got abilities no humans posses."

"Oh, that," Bill mused. "She is human, I just put a curse on her a few thousand years ago. Well, not really a curse, but it's what I called it back then, so let's just keep calling it that."

"How? What did you do?" Ford asked, seeing Alane was freaking out too much to ask him herself.

"I was stronger back then than when we met, Sixer," Bill said. "The rift was more pronounced then, it's just been healing, quite literally, with time. Up until you made your portal, that is. Basically, I could do a lot more than just possess people back then.

"Now what I did?" Bill said, turning to look at Alane. "It wasn't my original plan. You see, Alane's brother and I made a deal, and I took over his body. But his parents wanted their son back, so _they_ made a deal with me.

"In exchange for their eldest son back, I could have their sick, nine-year-old daughter as my servant until she died," Bill said smugly. "I didn't think it was too fair of a trade though- I mean, in exchange for my psychical, flesh and guts body, I was getting a servant who'd be dead in a week. But then, it occurred to me: What if she _didn't_ die?

"I accepted the deal," Bill continued, "and put a curse on Alane. Now, I couldn't keep her body from decaying _forever,_ but I prolonged her life, made her age a one-thousandth as slowly. And, just to make sure I had my servant for as long as possible, I gave her a little defense mechanism. You know, what you guys call her 'panic attacks.' They were meant to make her stronger when faced with danger, but really she just turns into a little monster when they happen. Which is actually cooler than the original intention!"

"I don't understand though- _how_ did you do it?" Ford asked. He seemed unaware that he was in the hand of a demon a good hundred feet off the ground, he was so interested.

"I did it the only way I could; I tied her to my home dimension," Bill said. If he had shoulders, he would've been shrugging. "Took some weirdness from there and put it inside of her. It's why she's been so unstable lately, you know. The more pronounced the rift is, the more weirdness she's got inside her. If the rift is completely gone, she'll be perfectly normal. But when it's like _this?_ " Bill looked up at the X in the sky. "Oh boy, things are gonna get fun real soon."

Bill held out Ford and Alane in front of him again. Alane was completely frozen up; she couldn't even think, just stare at the triangle's one eye as he looked from her to Ford.

"You two have kept me talking long enough," Bill said. "My buddies are probably getting bored. So, let's wrap this up, shall we? Since you both played a big part in getting us all here today, I'm willing to offer you both a deal. You guys can join my band of freaks and help me unleash havoc on the world. You guys would fit right in! What do you both say?"

"I'll die before I join you! I know your weakness, Bill!" Ford shouted.

As if on cue, there was a loud _"bang!"_ and the top part of Bill's hat was blown off. He whipped around, hat knitting back together as he did so, to see Dipper standing on the clock tower with a gun in hand. He looked wildly from the gun to Bill, either confused as to why he fired or why the demon wasn't dead.

"Hand over my uncle!" Dipper yelled shakily. He moved to pull something from his vest, dropping the gun in the process. But he recovered, taking out one of Ford's journals. "Or else!"

"Now isn't. This." Bill flew close to Dipper, turning red. "Interesting!" He said in an incredibly deep voice before flying back a few feet. "My old puppet is back for an encore. You think _you_ can stop me? Go ahead, Pine Tree, show me what you've got!" Bill sprouted two more arms and put them out in front of him, acting like they were about to have a fist fight.

"Dipper, what are you doing?!" Ford yelled.

Dipper began to flip through the journal. "I...Uh... I... Uh..." He muttered.

"I UM I. Do it, kid. Do some _brilliant_ thing that takes me down right now. Whattdya got, Pine Tree, everyone's waiting. DO IT."

"Augh, BILL!" Dipper yelled, leaping from the clock tower and aiming a punch right at Bill's eye. Only, the dream demon seemed to have a force field around him now, and Dipper was thrown back. The boy hit a tree and fell to the ground with a groan. Bill's friends began to laugh.

Dipper reached for the journal, but Bill was quicker. He raised his hand that held Ford, and all the journals began to levitate. "That's right. Don't be a hero, kid." He waved Ford back and forth "This is what happens to heroes in my world." With that, Ford turned to gold and the journals began to burn.

"No! Ford! The journals!" Dipper shouted in anguish.

Bill looked back at Alane. "Okay, kid. Last chance. You with us, or with the other fleshbags?"

All Alane could do was shake her head. She tried to say something, but she couldn't get any words out.

"Suit yourself," Bill said, then threw her over his shoulder.

Alane screeched as she flew through the air. She crashed into pine trees and oaks, eventually falling through some of their branches and hitting the ground with a bone-jarring thud.

She rolled over with a groan, her arm at an odd angle and gashes all over her.

From where she lay on the ground, Alane watched as Bill and his friends left in a flying car the demon summoned. They flew over the town, towards a large black pyramid in the sky, changing normal things into monsters as they went. Their laughter echoed towards her.

After Bill had vanished from sight, Alane let the tears began to flow.


	43. Chapter Thirty-Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Carry on my wayward son, there'll be peace when you are done. Lay your weary head to rest, don't you cry no more_  
>  I don't think this is the correct song to be listening to for writing about this specific fandom

"We are day three in this strange cataclysmic event, which some are calling 'Weirdmageddon,' or the 'Oddpocalypse.' Weather today calls for black clouds, blood rain and frequent showers of Eyeball Bats turning people into stone. I'm Shandra Jimenez, and I ate a rat for dinner," said the newswoman on the TV at Alane's feet. The screen cut out after that, switching to static as Alane stepped over it.

The sky was as red as blood, mixed with a few black clouds and smog. It was only mid-morning, but it may as well be nighttime. The dome of weirdness that appeared to be around the town barely let any light through, and what light it did was as red as the sky, giving the town an eerie, horror-movie feel.

But Alane didn't care. Honestly, what was so interesting about the color of the sky, or how dark it was? She couldn't care less whether the sky was red, or blue, or purple, or if they had no light at all.

For the past three days, Alane had been wondering around aimlessly in a deep funk. What Bill had told her... It had destroyed her entire world. Not only did she now know she was human, but she knew she at one point had a family. A family who, apparently, cared so little for her that they'd give her to Bill.

Not only that, but she also knew Ford had never tried to hurt her. She'd spent the last forty years hating him for absolutely no reason, and now she couldn't even make things right between them because Bill had him trapped in his Fearamid. That is, if Ford were even still alive. 

Bill had lied to Alane her entire life and brought on the end of the world; she wouldn't put killing Ford past him.

Alane walked through the street with her head down and hands in her pockets. Town was all but deserted aside from rats and Eye Bats, and the street was a mess. But Alane just walked around the bigger debris and paid no attention to the vermin that scampered about. Pretty soon, the Gravity Falls Mall was in sight.

She stopped at the edge of the parking lot and looked at it, torn by indecision.

On one hand, she could go inside and possibly meet a group of survivors who welcomed her.

On the other, she could go inside and meet a group of survivors who thought she worked for Bill and want to kill her.

After a moment, Alane turned to leave. Only, she froze when she heard a familiar scream. She looked around to locate it's source, and saw Dipper. He'd just came from an alleyway, and was now being pursued by one of Bill's friends: The Horrifying Sweaty One-Armed Monstrosity. That was actually his name.

The creature was a being with only a head and an arm on top of said head. He wasn't fast, but his arm could reach pretty far, and at the moment he was trying to bash Dipper into the ground with it.

"Hey. Hey you. Hey, I wanna talk to you. I wanna talk to you about going inside my mouth. I- I think you wanna get in here," The Horrifying Sweaty One-Armed Monstrosity said as he crawled a little closer to Dipper. "Hey, you, hey! I'm talkin' to you, man! You don't have to make a big deal outta this! Hello! _Hello!_ "

Dipper was running towards the mall. Alane watched as he tried to squeeze in through the automated doors, but got stuck, and the creature was right behind him.

Alane sighed heavily as she walked over. "Hey, big head!" Alane yelled, catching his attention as well as Dipper's. "Yeah, I'm talking to you! Leave the kid alone or I'm gonna kick you all the way to the Fearamid!"

"You threatenin' me? You know- it's seriously rude to threaten people." The Horrifying Sweaty One-Armed Monstrosity began to crawl towards her. "I think you'd better get inside my mouth. Yeah, get inside my mouth, I think you and your friend wanna get in here."

"It wasn't a threat. It was a warning," Alane said.

"Huh?" The creature asked, still crawling towards her.

Alane walked towards him, stopping about ten feet away from his giant hand. "Final chance," she said. "Get out of here or you'll regret it."

The Horrifying Sweaty One-Armed Monstrosity just crawled a few feet closer, so Alane took that as her answer.

To her right was an old pickup truck, which Alane grabbed by the bumper. The metal bent under her fingers like it was tinfoil, and she lifted it off the concrete with ease.

The Horrifying Sweaty One-Armed Monstrosity watched her as she spun herself around with the car, confused. It occurred to him what she was doing only after she let go of the truck and it crashed into his face.

The creature flew through the air a few feet before hitting the concrete once more and rolling another fifty feet or so. He lay there, still as a stone for a moment before his arm moved. Using his hand, he pushed himself up and crawled away, muttering about how rude they were for not getting in his mouth.

Alane stood there, watching The Horrifying Sweaty One-Armed Monstrosity crawl out of sight before turning to Dipper over at the Mall.

He was still stuck in the automated door, and was staring at her, wide-eyed and mouth agape.

While brushing rust from her palms, Alane walked over to him. She didn't say anything when she stopped besides the door, only look at him for a second before grabbing hold of the metal that covered the edges of the glass. With a yank, she pulled the door open and Dipper stumbled free.

"I, uh..." Dipper stammered to get out before taking a deep breath. "Thanks," he said.

Alane gave him a thin smile, put her hands in her pockets and then began to walk away.

"Hey- where are you going?" Dipper called.

"No idea," Alane replied, her tone quiet.

The sound of Dipper's feet approached her, and she heard him stop directly behind her. When she turned, she saw him standing there, looking at the concrete awkwardly. "Uh, there may be people inside the mall?" He offered. "I was going to go check it out. If you have no where to go... You wanna come with? I could use your help with fighting off Bill's gang."

"You sure you want me around?" Alane asked, raising an eyebrow. "I basically caused this whole mess. Not to mention, you just saw me hit a guy in the face with a truck."

"To be fair, you offered to throw cars around for me and Mabel before," Dipper said with a crooked grin. "Besides, this is my fault too. And since you're clearly on our side and not Bill's, I haven't got a problem with you being around. I haven't seen living, not-stone people for two days, so I'm happy about any sort of company I can get."

"The apocalypse sure is lonely, huh?" Alane mused, looking around the parking lot before back at Dipper. "Sure, I'll tag along. But if people decide they want me dead because of these." She held out her hands, exposing the open eyes. "I'll be out of there pretty quick, so don't be upset if I don't say goodbye."

Dipper took a step back in shock. "Whoa- holdup. Why are they open eyes now? Shouldn't they be shut?" Dipper asked, looking Alane over, probably to make sure she wasn't changing.

"They've been open since day one of this thing," Alane said, putting her hands back in her pockets. "They apparently open when I'm at my most powerful, and since the rift is here... You were there for Bill's explanation, right? So you should understand."

Alane had been thinking long and hard about everything Bill had said over the last three days. A lot of what she'd been confused about now made sense- from Ford's lack of memory of the events she thought took place, to the headache she got when the portal tore the rift open. Her head just couldn't take the flood of power the rift gave her when that portal activated.

Maybe, if she'd asked Bill about the headache then, none of this would be happening.

Or at least, she would've been slightly more prepared for her recent reality check.

"So, does this mean you're not gonna change anymore?" Dipper asked hesitantly.

She shrugged. "I might still, but I don't know what would happen if I did. Maybe I'd just want to smash stuff for a few hours, I don't know. But hey, I got the perks of it without the downside right now, so that's something to be happy about."

"So, um," Dipper glanced behind Alane. "We should probably get inside. If that guy comes back, he may have some of Bill's gang with him."

"Oh, don't worry about Big Head," Alane said dismissively as she walked past Dipper. "The guy's got a real short memory. I threw a car at him yesterday and he didn't even remember me. He's probably already forgotten about us."

Alane and Dipper walked into the mall slowly. Inside was even darker than outside had been, the only light coming from a few flickering store signs and the huge skylight high above them.

"Hello? Anyone here?" Dipper called out. "Stan? Mabel?"

His voice echoed back towards them, but no one replied. The two continued further into the mall, reaching the food court. 

Alane walked past a couple flipped tables and hopped a counter into a little ice cream shop. "Care for some probably melted cream of the ice?" Alane asked, mimicking a perfect old English accent. "It's simply to _die_ for, you must try some."

He chuckled. "Sure. Oh, hey, I've been meaning to ask," Dipper said, putting his elbows on the counter as Alane rummaged around the cabinets for two Styrofoam bowls. "If you've been around longer than this country, are you British or something?"

"There are a lot of other races I could easily be that are not British," Alane pointed out. "I actually can't remember where I came from. Things like that didn't matter to me much back then; I was one for adventure rather than learning my own culture. But, the first thing I remember referring to myself as was a viking, so let's just go with that."

"Viking? So like, you wore helmets with horns on them and stuff?" Dipper asked with a crooked grin as Alane pulled the lever on the ice cream machine.

"Viking helmets with horns were made up to portray viking warriors as demonic," Alane said as the ice cream slush started to come out of the machine. It wasn't entirely melted yet, thanks to the cooling system the machine had inside. "Helmets were just plain, metal caps, and it was mainly the warriors who had them."

She turned around and gave Dipper a bowl of ice cream slush before hopping over the counter with her's and looking at him. "So, to answer your question, no I did not."

"Sorry if I was just insulting," Dipper said, face reddening as they walked over to a table. "Norse history is not one of my strong subjects."

"It's cool," Alane said dismissively as she sat down. "You weren't being insulting. Just... Poorly educated." She grinned.

Dipper sat down across from her and began to eat his ice cream. "Gosh, never thought I'd eat this stuff again," he said with a sigh. "Though I do wish there were some solid food in this place. Don't get me wrong, ice cream is great, but I want to be able to chew something."

Alane swallowed her bite of ice cream as she gestured with her spoon to something over Dipper's shoulder. "There are some suspicious nachos under a spotlight over there," Alane said. It was true, there was a helping of nachos, still warm by the looks of the melted cheese, under a spotlight just inside of a store across the food court.

"Wait, what?" Dipper asked, turning around. "Nachos? But, that must mean someone is around here!"

"Not necessarily," Alane told him as he hopped to his feet. "It looks like a trap to me. Could be one of Bill's minions or one of the other monsters."

But Dipper was already gone, running over to the nachos. Alane sighed, standing up and following him. She brought her ice cream with her though, where as Dipper had left his.

"The last nachos on earth..." Dipper murmured as he stopped besides them. Alane stood about a foot away, slowly eating her ice cream. Dipper reached forward and picked up the paper bowl of chips...

But the action triggers the obvious trap, and Dipper got caught in a net. "Told ya, dude," Alane said, not surprised, as Dipper gasped with shock.

"Get me down from here!" He said shrilly, clearly afraid of whatever had set the trap.

"Sure thing," Alane said, setting her ice cream where the nachos had been and moving to let the kid down. But she heard a noise, and quickly went into defensive mode, facing the corner it'd come from. But the only thing there was a potted plant.

But then a head poked out of it, slowly. "Dipper, keep still," Wendy said slowly, eyeing Alane. "Don't let her help you. She works with Bill."

"Oh, yeah," Alane muttered. _Forgot we haven't dealt with this yet._ "Wendy, I don't work for Bill."

"Wendy? Oh no! You've been transformed into some sort of tree monster!" Dipper exclaimed upon seeing his friend.

"What? Oh, this?" Wendy stepped out of the pot, shaking a branch from her. "It's just camouflage. My dad made me and my brothers do apocalypse training every year instead of Christmas. Guess it's sort of cool the paranoia paid off." She smiled at Dipper before looking at Alane and frowning.

Alane rolled her eyes, reaching up to undo the net. She had to stand on her tip-toes to reach it, but she soon had him back on the ground. When the net was off of him, he quickly stood up and rushed over to his friend. "Oh, Wendy, I'm so glad to see you!" Dipper said, giving her a quick hug. "I thought everyone but us had been captured by Bill."

"Hey, hey, it's okay. We have each other now," Wendy said with a smile, before looking back at Alane. "Plus her."

"Well, guess I'm outta here," Alane said with a shrug, taking her ice cream and walking from the store.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Dipper asked, running up behind her as Wendy followed at a slower pace.

"I told you I was leaving if we met someone who wanted me dead," Alane said, turning around to face the kid. "Wendy's shooting daggers at me right now, so I'm taking my leave. See you around."

"No, Alane, you don't have to leave. Wendy doesn't want to kill you!" Dipper protested, looking back at Wendy. "Right?"

Wendy grumbled in response. Dipper continued to look at her though, and after a minute she sighed before shaking her head. "No, guess not," she muttered. "But she has some explaining to do."

"See? You don't have to leave," Dipper said happily, turning back to Alane.

"Guess I'll stay then," Alane said with a shrug. "But really, if I'm not wanted then I'll go."

"We shouldn't stay out in the open for too long. Let me show you guys my hideout," Wendy said, gesturing for them to follow as she began to walk further into the mall. Dipper followed instantly, but Alane walked slower, taking the time to eat her ice cream.


	44. Chapter Forty

Wendy led them to a goth store called "Edgy On Purpose" and brought them inside. At the back of the store was a small, make-shift camp with a fire pit and a single sleeping place. She sat down behind the fire, Dipper sitting about a foot away from her and Alane on the other side of the fire pit on a flipped cash register. Dipper noted she still ate her ice cream, and was vaguely upset that he forgot about his.

"We were playing Truth or Dare in the cemetery when it happened. The eyeballs froze Nate, Lee, Tambry and Thompson. Robbie almost got away but had to pause to take a selfie." Wendy paused for a second, looking at the fire before glancing up at Dipper. "What about you guys?"

"I was in a fight with Mabel when it happened. Uncle Ford asked me to be his apprentice once the summer was over. But that would mean I wouldn't go back home. It would mean growing up without Mabel."

"Oh, _dude,_ " Wendy muttered.

"Mabel didn't take it well and she ran off into the forest. She couldn't even look me in the eye." Dipper looked into the fire now.

"I was actually on my way to the shack to help Mabel with party stuff," Alane said before taking a bite of ice cream. "Ran back into town though as soon as I saw what was happening."

 _Explains why Ford and I saw her before we drove into town,_ Dipper thought as Alane stood up.

"So, this is like the first time I've eaten in four days," Alane said then gestured over her shoulder with her thumb. "I'm gonna go get a refill of ice cream slush. You guys want any?"

"I'm good," Wendy said, not making eye contact with Alane.

Alane looked down at Dipper. "Maybe grab mine from the table on your way back?" He asked.

"Sure thing," Alane replied before leaving the building.

"Okay, dude, explain," Wendy said the second Alane was gone. "What is up with her? And why do you want to keep her around?"

"Nothing is up with her," Dipper said after a moment. "Bill just tricked her into trusting him, and now she realizes how evil he actually is. She's on our side, I promise.

"And..." He paused. "We may be the last people not to have been turned to stone in the entire town. You know how strong Alane is." Wendy nodded. "So you should realize she could be a huge help to us in fighting all the weird monsters Bill created.

"Plus, she was really good friends with Mabel. I've already upset her enough, and if we find her soon... I hope she'll start to forgive me if she sees I've given Alane a chance," he added, resting his head on his knees.

They sat in silence for a long while, it only being broken by the distant echo of the ice cream machine Alane was using. After the machine had fallen silent though, Wendy hoisted herself to her feet. "Come on. Let's get some fresh air," she said, pulling Dipper to his feet as well.

Dipper followed Wendy from the store. On their way, they ran into Alane as she returned from her ice cream run and Dipper told her where they were going. She decided to tag along, and together they all went outside. Using a ladder on the side of the building, they climbed up onto the roof and sat down to survey the havoc; Alane on his left and Wendy on his right.

"The end of the world. Man, those death metal album covers got it shockingly right," Wendy mused as she looked out over the town where monsters roamed and buildings burned.

"You know, I used to think I could get out of anything, but this? The journals are destroyed, Ford is captured and I can't find my family anywhere. Bill said it himself, there's no room for heroes out here. We lost." Dipper leaned back on his hands and sighed.

"Look, dude, it's not over yet. You've beaten Bill twice before, why is this time any different?" Wendy asked.

"'Cause then I had Mabel."

"Then you need to get Mabel back. Look, this summer, I've seen some amazing things, but nothing as amazing as you and your sister. I don't know if it's dumb luck or yin and yang, or whatever, but when you two work together, there's like nothing you two can't accomplish. You just need to make up, and team up, and save the universe," Wendy said encouragingly.

"But how will I ever find her?"

It was just then that a monster ate a billboard in front of them before walking away. With the billboard gone, a large weirdness bubble could now be seen between the two cliffs at the edge of the valley. On it was a shooting star.

"Didn't Bill call Mabel 'Shooting Star?'" Alane asked, motioning to the bubble with her spoon.

"The shooting star from Mabel's sweater! She's in there. I know it," Dipper said in excitement.

"Whoa, is that like twin ESP?" Wendy asked, looking at Dipper as he stood up.

"No, we don't have that, but we do have this thing where our allergies totally act up at the same time." Dipper paused to sneeze, earning a grin from both Wendy and Alane. "Mabel needs us. But how are we gonna get out there without being caught?"

"I have an idea," Wendy said, getting to her feet as well. She and Dipper smiled at each other.

"You know," Alane said, taking another bite of her ice cream. "It's funny that we never noticed that bubble until now. Like, it must've been there this entire time."

Dipper and Wendy looked at Alane and then to the bubble.

"Doesn't matter," Dipper said, shaking his head. "We see it now, and that's what counts. You coming with us to rescue Mabel?"

"Of course I am," Alane said, standing up and throwing the empty ice cream bowl over her shoulder. "I like her more than you two combined. Now, race you guys to the ground." She took a step back and fell off of the building.

Dipper and Wendy rushed over, looking over the edge as Alane hit the concrete. "Definitely raised by Bill," Dipper muttered.

"She gonna be alright?" Wendy asked.

"Yeah. Probably."

As they watched, Alane shakily got back onto her feet. She brushed some dirt off of her clothes as a scrape on her hand healed before looking up at the others. "You guys lose," she shouted up after cupping her hands in front of her mouth.

The two shared a quick look before going to the ladder and climbing down, where they were greeted by a grinning Alane. "I thought you said you couldn't heal from extreme injuries?" Dipper asked her. "Couldn't you have just died?"

"More powerful at the moment, remember?" Alane said with a shrug as she put her hands in her pockets and started walking through the parking lot. "Plus, I honestly don't care anymore."

 

Twenty minutes later, the group arrived at Bud Gleeful's car lot. "The abandoned auto-mart. Free cars right for the hot-wiring. We just found our ride to Mabel," Wendy said with a grin as they looked over the fence. Once inside, Wendy got a little giddy with excitement. "I wonder if they have a tank. I've _always_ wanted to drive a tank!" She said before running off to search the place.

"I can't believe this place is just abandoned," Dipper murmured as he and Alane looked over the lot.

"I can't believe I'm going to have to ride in a car," Alane said, voice full of distaste.

Wendy walked back over to them slowly, shoulders hunched. "Couldn't find a tank," she said sadly.

"No problem. We'll need something faster, anyway." Alane shrugged. "I'll go look over-"

She had been going to say "I'll go look over there for something suitable" but was cut off by the sudden sound of three loud engines, and the six headlights that suddenly shone on them.

 _Where did they even come from?_ Dipper wondered, looking around at the cars. He hadn't seen, nor heard, any cars until the lights were on them.

"Well, well, looks like we got ourselves a pair of ground walkers," someone said from one of the large trucks that now surrounded them.

"Heheh! Ground walkers! Heheh! Ain't got no wheels!" Someone else said, followed up by laughter from all of the people on the cars.

"Listen, Discount Auto Warriors!" Wendy shouted.

Dipper cut in. "We just wanna make it to that bubble out east; we have no quarrel with you!"

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong! Hands where I can see 'em," came a deep, booming voice from the center truck. Dipper and Wendy raised their hands fearfully, where as Alane just shrugged and kept her hands in her pockets. "Y'all fellers ain't goin' nowhere."

"'Y'all?'" Wendy asked, tilting her head.

"'Fellers?' Wait... Gideon?" Dipper exclaimed.

"That's Sheriff Gideon!" A small boy said, stepping into the light. He held a megaphone that had been altering his voice. Now that he wasn't using it, he sounded pretty high-pitched. "Under the authority of Bill Cipher, I place you two under arrest! Oh, hi, Wendy! Have we formally met? And who's this?"

"Oh my gosh," Alane said, a smile spreading across her face. "This kid is adorable."

Gideon didn't seem to hear her. "Wooooo-we! Look what the apocalypse dragged in! Y'all are in a twelve-piece bucket of deep fried trouble now! Ghost-Eyes! Spitoon!" A man behind him came forward with a bucket and Gideon spit out a piece of gum.

"Who is this kid?" Alane asked, looking at Wendy and Dipper. "I want to give him a hug."

"It's Gideon," Dipper moaned.

"And he's gotten folksier," Wendy added with a frown.

"Ma' old pal Bill figured you might try to rescue Mabel. So he appointed me, master of these wastelands, and _keeper of the bubble_! My sweet precious Mabel's trapped inside and I have the only key!" Just to prove it, he pulled a key out of his shirt that was tied to a string. "Wrapped around my... Well I wouldn't call it a neck exactly, wrapped around this little pocket of fat under ma' head?"

"Gideon, you have _no right_ to keep her in there!" Dipper yelled.

"Bill explained it to me nice and simple: she was always destined to be mine!" He took a newspaper clipping out from underneath his hat and looked at it longingly. "And now that I have her in a cage she'll learn to love me! I have an eternity to wait! Ghost-Eyes! Ready to escort our friends to Bill's dungeon?"

The man who'd given Gideon the bucket now jumped off the back of the car and walked over to the group. He picked Dipper and Wendy up by the backs of their shirts, but then turned to Gideon questioningly. "What about this one?" He asked, motioning to Alane as the two struggled in his grip.

"Who is she even?" Gideon asked, looking at Alane.

"Name's Alane, kid," Alane said evenly as she held up a hand to show him her tattoo. "Old friend of Bill's. But I've sorta switched sides because he's a total jerk."

"In that case." Gideon snapped his tiny fingers and another man came over and grabbed Alane from behind. "You'll be escorted to the dungeon as well."

 _"Do something!"_ Dipper mouthed to Alane, who was just standing there with a bored expression.

"This isn't gonna work, Gideon," Wendy growled.

"Oh? And why's that?" Gideon sneered.

"'Cause after I break Ghost-Eyes' arm and steal that key from your neck, I'm gonna wear your butt on my foot like a rhinestone slipper!" Wendy told him.

The gathered men all laughed. "Oho, and what makes you think you can do all that?" Gideon asked, laughing as well.

"'Cause I'm a flippin' Corduroy!" Wendy yelled, flipping over Ghost-Eyes' arm and yanking him back. Dipper dropped to the ground on his hands and knees and caused the man to trip up. He let out a startled yell as he fell into the dirt.

Alane looked back at the man holding her. "Let me go, or I will murder you," she said simply, momentarily changing her eyes to black. The man stepped away from her quickly, and Alane took off running with Dipper.

"Ghost-Eyes! My hench-angel!" Gideon whined upon seeing his friend on the ground.

"Ha!" Wendy yelled, jumping up onto the car besides Gideon and grabbing the key from his neck. She then picked him up by the back of the shirt and turned to his gang. "Get back! Get back! Or I will drop-kick him, I swear!" She threatened as she hopped off the car with Gideon still in her grip.

Wendy moved to break a car window, but Alane opened it up from the inside. "I'm driving," Alane said simply, motioning for her to get in on the other side.

"You'll never get away with this, ya hear me?!" Gideon yelled as Wendy walked around the car.

"Guess what? We already _did!_ " She dropped Gideon, but kicked him into his gathered henchmen as she hopped into the car and slammed the door.

Dipper hopped into the backseat of the car. "Wendy, you're the coolest person I know," he said, awed.

"Hey, what about me?" Alane asked as she quickly pulled the car out of the spot, nearly hitting a couple people. "I'm the one who hot-wired the car _and_ jumped off a roof today."

"Fine, you're both cool," he said, rolling his eyes as Alane peeled out of the parking lot. 

Alane took off at high speed down the road, but only a few seconds later, the headlights of Gideon's cars shone behind them.

"Okay, all we have to do is outrace Gideon's henchmen, unlock the bubble, save Mabel, save the world," Dipper said, nodding to himself as he watched Alane make a sharp turn without even slowing down. "Quick question: do you know how to drive?"

"Am I licensed? No," Alane said, swerving around a flipped car. "But I used to drag race a lot in the '50's."

"I thought you didn't like cars?"

"Yeah, I don't," she muttered, leaving Dipper wondering what her reason could be.

Alane swerved around around The Horrifying Sweaty One-Armed Monstrosity, who was in the road. Dipper looked behind them after they passed, seeing it had grabbed one of the cars after them and was eating it.

Up ahead were a ton of bubbles, similar to Mabel's but smaller in size. "Watch it! Go around that bubble field!" Dipper yelled.

"Yeah, can't do that," Alane said simply, speeding up even more. "Just hold on, we're going through."

"What's even in there?!" Dipper exclaimed as they ramped over a bump in the road and into a bubble. 

Upon entering the bubble, they all had bird heads.

"For some reason, I really want worms right now," Dipper chirped from the backseat.

"Eat worms! Fly south! Nest!" Wendy chirped back.

"This is really weird," Alane chirped with disdain.

The car exited the bubble, and everyone was normal again. Well, sorta. Dipper started coughing up feathers. "Oh, that was horrible!" He groaned.

"Here comes another one! Brace yourselves!" Wendy yelled.

Alane drove them through three more bubbles, in each one they became something different. Wendy and Dipper let out screams with each change, were as Alane just tried to focus on driving.

Suddenly, just as they came out of the last bubble, Gideon's car slammed into them, shattering the glass on the rear window. "Ah!" Dipper exclaimed as glass showered him.

"We're almost there! We just have to make that jump!" Wendy said as they neared a ravine. She was digging her fingers into the door and her chair in pure fright.

"Hope this goes better than my last time," Alane muttered, pushing the gas pedal down as far as it'd go.

"Wait- what happened last time?!" Dipper exclaimed, but they were already driving over a ramp made of dirt. _Why is this ramp even here?!_

The car flew through the air and was filled with the screams of the passengers. Dipper saw in the mirror that Alane's eyes were wide and terrified as they flew.

It seemed like forever, but the car hit the other side of the ravine just seconds after ramping. Upon landing, it bounced once before flipping over and rolling another forty feet or so. Everyone inside, including Alane now, yelled with fear and pain as they continued to hit things inside the cab.

When the car eventually stopped, the passenger side back door fell off it's hinges, and Wendy's opened. Dipper fell out of the car, having been leaning against the door when it'd come off, and landed on the dusty ground.

"So... Close," Dipper groaned as he crawled. Mabel's bubble prison floated above him between the cliffs, so close but still out of reach. "Mabel... I'm... Almost there."

Suddenly, a shadow covered him, and a cloaked figure appeared. Dipper froze up, eyes on the figure but unable to see their face. The figure walked over, stopping in front of Dipper. The boy's heart thudded in his chest with fear as they bent down...

And offered him a hand getting to his feet.

"Heya, Dipper. How's it hanging?" Soos asked, pulling back his hood.

"Soos!" Dipper exclaimed, taking his hand.

Wendy stood up from the driver's side of the car; her and Alane having both tumbled out that side. "Soos?" She asked in confusion, bruised and rubbing her head.

"Handyman of the apocalypse, at your service," Soos said with a grin, straightening his hat.

"Soos! How'd you, where'd you-?" Dipper stammered.

"I've been wandering the plains like a desperado, helping strangers. I guess there's some folk songs about me now?" Wendy walked over to him, and Soos held out a hand to her as he looked at her arm. "Let me see what the damage is, here. Ah, well the good news is: your arm is okay."

"And the bad news?" Alane asked, having walked over as well.

"Bad news is we're surrounded, dudes," Soos said.

During their reunion with Soos, Gideon and his gang had driven around the ravine and were now parked around them. After Soos made the others aware of their presence, the gang began hooting and hollering at those on the ground.

"Wooowee. I dare say y'all almost had the jump on me there for a second. But this ain't your Gravity Falls anymore! Out here, I win!" He clapped his hands and was thrown a conch, which he blew into. It made a bellowing noise that echoed over the dusty plain. "Bill's henchbats will be here any minute to retrieve y'all. Mabel's mine now!" He laughed.

"Is she?" Dipper asked quietly.

Gideon nodded slowly, as if confused as to why Dipper didn't get it. "Well, yeah. I have her trapped, ergo, Mabel is mine!"

"Gideon, listen to me, if I've learned anything this summer it's that you can't force someone to love you." He glanced over at Wendy, who was having her wounds tended to by Soos. "The best you can do is strive to be someone worthy of loving."

"Oh, I'm worthy o' lovin'! These prisoners love me!" Gideon's gang cheered as he held out his arms and motioned to them.

"But Mabel doesn't," Dipper reminded him. "Because you're selfish. But you can change! Bill thinks there's no heroes in this world, but if we work together and fight back, we can defeat him. You wanna be Mabel's hero? Stand up to Bill, and let us save her!"

"That's crazy! You know what Bill would do to me if that happens?" Gideon asked shakily.

"What, you scared of Bill?" Ghost-Eyes asked.

"No, I ju... It's a complicated situation," Gideon said.

"Look inside, Gideon. If all this is for Mabel, then ask yourself what Mabel would want you to do."

Gideon pulled the newspaper clipping out of his hat again. He looked at the front-page picture of him and Mabel together and sighed before saying quietly, "Dipper. Will you tell her what I did?"

"Of course," Dipper said quickly.

"I hope you're right about this," Gideon muttered before turning to his gang. "Guys, new plan! Bill's minions are gonna be on us in seconds. But I'm not gonna let that dumb triangle be the warden o' me! Y'all ready for a good old fashioned prison brawl?"

"We're behind you for life, brother!" Ghost-Eyes called.

"Fighting children is boring, but fighting a chaos god sounds fun!"

"Let's do this!" Gideon yelled. "Henchmen, roll out!"

Gideon's gang of prisoners cheered and hooted as they got into their cars and drove off towards Bill's Fearmid. In the sky, Dipper saw a quickly approaching flock of Eye Bats, a black mass against the blood red sky.

"Whew! And I thought I was gonna have to throw down!" Soos said in relief once they were gone.

 

Once they made sure everyone was able to travel, everyone aside Alane had some sort of injury, even Soos, the group hiked up to the cliff. They made their way down through an old mine shaft and came out on a rickety old wooden train track. Directly ahead of them was Mabel's bubble, and the lock that prevented them from entering.

"Okay, remember, guys. This is a prison bubble designed by Bill. We've got to prepare ourselves for what we find in here," Dipper said cautiously as he glanced around at everyone.

"Whatever it is, we'll do it together. For Mabel!" Soos said, putting his hand out.

"For Mabel!" Wendy said, putting her hand atop his.

"For Mabel," Alane said, putting her hand on Wendy's.

"For Mabel," Dipper said, then took Gideon's key and unlocked the padlock on the bubble.

The chains wrapped around the prison fell, and suddenly, they could enter. Wendy grabbed hold of Soos's and Dipper's hand, bracing herself for entering.

Dipper turned to his left and looked at Alane, who was staring at the bubble with her hands in her pockets again. He held out a hand to her, and she looked from it to him in confusion. The boy offered her a small smile, and Alane hesitantly returned it, taking his hand.

The group looked at each other, seeing their fear reflecting on each other's faced before taking a collective breath and entering what was sure to be a place worse than the world they'd been living in.


	45. Chapter Forty-One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter sorta caused me to start shipping Alane and young Ford *shrug*

_This is going to be the most demonic and evil creation in existence, I know it,_ Alane thought to herself as they stepped through the bubble. When she opened her eyes on the other side, she immediately thought she'd gone blind.

"Am I the only one who doesn't see anything?" Alane asked, looking around at the dark void before them. There was absolutely nothing to be seen. Just endless dark.

"Mabel! Mabel!" Dipper called into the dark. When nothing answered him, he turned to the others. "Okay guys, Bill has taken over the town and if his weirdness spreads he's gonna take over the whole world. Our first step to stopping him is rescuing Mabel, but he's got her trapped in this strange prison bubble."

"Nice recap," Alane commented quietly.

"What _is_ this place anyway?" Wendy asked, looking around.

As they surveyed the void, looking for any signs of life or, more specifically, Mabel, the ground beneath their feet began to crack. Within seconds, it shattered completely and the four of them began to fall, screaming.

"Guys, if I die, I wanna die hugging," Soos said, pulling Wendy and Dipper close to him. "Get over here Alane!" He shouted over the rush of the wind to Alane, who was falling a few feet away from him.

"Soos, you're choking me," Dipper gasped out.

"Let my body be your shield!" Soos yelled.

They continued to scream as they fell, the rainbow-colored ground growing ever closer. Alane braced for impact, but when they landed, they bounced. After a few follow up bounces, the four lay still on the squishy ground as they caught their breath.

"Huh? Is the entire ground a bounce castle?" Dipper asked no one in particular as he stood up. He kicked at the ground, a look of confusion on his face.

"Do you hear 80's music?" Wendy asked, frowning as the sound filled their ears.

"And does the air smell like childlike wonder?" Soos chimed in, taking a deep breath.

 _What? "Childlike wonder?" What does that smell like? And, furthermore, how does Soos know the smell of it right off the bat?_ Alane wondered, more confused about that than where they now were.

Once the four of them were standing, they looked around at where they were. Only, they froze up when their collective gazes landed on a dazzling, rainbow-colored city in front of them. "Whoa," they breathed.

"Bill definitely didn't create this part," Alane muttered, realizing it had to be the case right off the bat. "This isn't his style."

"This is Mabel's prison?" Dipper asked in confusion as the four of them walked down the bouncy path and into the town.

Various creatures and adorable animals were everywhere. The buildings were every shade of the rainbow, including some colors that Alane was getting a headache looking at, and others that hurt her very mind because she was sure they shouldn't exist.

Suddenly, a loudspeaker blared. "It's fun-o'clock everyone," a voice said. "Today's weather calls for rainbows with a chance of dance parties. If you are the owner of a unicorn with a top hat, please come to the ice cream beach. Your unicorn is being towed."

"What is this new world? Shining, shimmering, splendid!" Soos said with a smile as he looked around

Suddenly, a car drove around the corner, coming towards them and going what Alane assumed was way over the speed limit. They skidded to a halt, sending a pineapple person running in fear as they almost hit it. Two teenage guys wearing bright colors sat in the car, looking at them. "Welcome to Mabeland," one of them said.

"And this is worse than the apocalypse," Dipper muttered. He wore a look of utter dislike as he looked at the two new arrivals.

"Dude, this place hurts my eyes," Wendy said, squinting against the harsh colors.

"Oh that's normal," the other guy said. "Mabeland's rainbows have colors only bees and art students can see. Now who wants to go on the grand tour?"

"Do we have a choice?" Alane asked with a frown.

"No!" Both of them said at the same time, looking at each other.

Sighing, the four of them got into the back of their car and they took off speeding down the road. "Mabeland is the ultimate paradise and the only rule: there are no rules!" The first guy said.

"Except for one rule which is very serious. But no one would ever break it, so it's not worth mentioning," said the second.

"Yeah!"

"Listen creepy dream guys, we're not here to party, okay? We just need to find Mabel and get her out of here. Where is she?" Dipper demanded.

"Our home girl Mabel lives at our next stop." The second guy swerved the car and they drove over a fire hydrant and crashed through a building.

"No rules!" The second shouted.

"Who are these people?" Alane whispered to Dipper as she brushed rubble from her hair.

"He's Xyler, and he's Craz," Dipper muttered, pointing at them. "Don't ask how we met. It's a long story."

After a few more minutes filled with crashing through and into stuff, Craz eventually pulled the car into a parking lot at the beach. Once parked, they all got out of the car and followed the two weird guys onto the sand. A party seemed to be in progress and music blared.

"Now, come have rad snacks served by awesome penguins," Xyler said as penguins holding trays of food waddled over.

"Oh, score! I'm so hungry," Wendy said, taking a glass of punch

Soos took a glass as well. "Yeah, I haven't eaten anything except for part of my hat for the last three days," Soos said with a laugh as the two of think clinked their cups together.

"Can you guys just hold on a second? Do you see what's happening here? Don't forget this world was created by _Bill._ " Dipper slapped Soos' cup from his hand just as he was about to take a sip. "That punch is probably blood! And that glitter rain." He gestured to the cloud that'd formed over them that was raining glitter on their heads. "Is probably ground up bones, or babies, or something."

Dipper picked up a handful of the glitter and let it seep between his fingers. "Bill's using Mabel's own fantasies as some sick trap. We need to grab Mabel and get the heck out of here."

"Dipper's right," Alane said with a sad smile. "Don't trust anything you see, and don't eat any of the food." She walked over to Craz, pausing behind him as she glanced back at Wendy. "And if you're starving, you should've eaten that ice cream I found," she said, rolling her eyes before tapping Craz on the shoulder.

"Yes?" Craz said, turning around.

"We'd like to know where Mabel is," Alane said. "Could you give us directions?"

"Oh, Mabel? She's at the top of the tallest tower guarded by those big buff waffle guards." Craz pointed, and the four of them looked over. There was a huge, medieval looking tower just a short walk away from them. Outside were two floating waffle men with muscular arms. "There's no way to get past them!"

"Someone hand me some syrup," Soos said, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the waffles.

When they neared, the waffle guards didn't even acknowledge them. Soos was easily able to sneak away unnoticed, as was Alane.

Suddenly, without warning, Soos pounced onto the back of one of the waffle guards and bit him. "Aah! It's happening! The moment we've trained for!" The guard yelled as Soos took another bite out og him.

"Oh, don't worry, man. I've got ya-" The other guard screamed as Alane came up behind him and punched his face out.

Once the two guards were down, Wendy and Dipper kicked in the door. "This is a rescue! Everyone hit the deck!" Dipper yelled at the animals gathered inside as they ran past, kicking some of them out of the way.

Soos picked up and animal and threw it before rushing up the stairs with the others. "Hang in there, Mabel!" He yelled.

At the top of the stairs, Alane kicked open another door, reveling a dark bedroom. At the center of the room was a bed with a canape, and on it Mabel laid fast asleep.

"There she is! Soos! Grab her! Wendy, Alane, barricade the door!" Dipper commanded. Wendy and Alane began pushing furniture in front of the door, which was being pounded on by new waffle guards.

Soos ran over to Mabel's bed and gently scooped her up. "Up you go, little lady."

Mabel slowly blinked open her eyes. "Wha- Soos? Guys?" She murmured sleepily, looking at everyone in confusion.

"The waffles are coming back! We gotta hurry!" Wendy said as multiple swords were poked through the wooden door.

"Uh, guys?"

"Don't worry, Mabel, we'll get you out of this!" Dipper reassured her.

"But, Dipper!" Mabel said in annoyance, clapping her hands twice as she hopped out of Soos' arms. Everything in front of the door rose off the ground, along with the four of her "rescuers." Mabel quickly put everything back in order by waving things into place, then set everyone down in chairs as the waffle guards entered the room and point their spears at them. Mabel clapped her hands again though and they stopped, grumbling before leaving the room.

"Mabel! What are you doing? We're trying to save you from this prison!" Dipper said.

"This isn't a prison! I made this world!" She clapped her hands once more and the lights came on in the room "Well, I sort of woke up here. It's complicated," she laughed.

"What are you saying?" Dipper asked quietly.

Mabel walked across the room and sat at a desk, turning a plaque around that read "Mayor Mabel" on it in bold letters. "I'm saying this is my home now. And I don't want to be saved!"

"You did _what?_ " Dipper asked. Alane figured he was referring to her making the world.

"Look, after you said you wouldn't come back home with me at the end of the summer for your 'apprenticeship,' I wanted to hide in my sweater forever," she said with a frown, but then perked up. "But then I woke up in a place that gives me exactly what I wanted: an endless summer where I never have to grow up! Here the sun shines all day, the party never ends, and now that you guys are here, it's finally perfect!"

"Listen, Mabel, we're not here to party. All of this is crazy!"

Mabel groaned. "I figured _you_ might say something like that, Dipper. That's why I prepared a backup Dipper with a more supportive attitude."

On cue, a version of Dipper rode past Alane on a skateboard. He wore a similar outfit but more colorful, like everything here, and was smiling. "Wohoho!" He said, high-fiving Mabel as he rode by her desk before stopping on the other side of it.

"Yeah! Wiggity-wiggity-what's up, dude-bros? I'm Dippy Fresh! I like skateboarding, supporting my sister, and punctuating every sentence with a high five! Hup!" He held up his hand.

"Oh! Don't mind if I-" Soos said, moving to give him a high five, but stopping when Dipper cleared his throat angrily and shook his head.

"I won't leave you hanging," Alane said with a grin, high-fiving the weird Dipper clone.

"You're dead to me, Alane," Dipper said while glaring at Dippy Fresh.

"Trust me, you guys are gonna love it here. This world always knows what you want. Sometimes even before you do!" A chinchilla appeared above Mabel and dropped into her arms. "Apparently I wanted a chinchilla! Right again, Mabeland!"

"Mabel, listen to yourself. This is crazy! I'm sorry about our fight, and I'm sorry things aren't great right now but that doesn't mean you can just stay in here forever!"

"Hey, take a chill pill! Those grow on trees here!"

"You stay out of this, Dippy Fresh!" Dipper yelled.

"Dude, calm down; Dippy Fresh didn't do anything to you, dawg," Soos said. Dipper actually growled at Dippy Fresh in response as the guy skateboarded from the room.

"I know it sounds too good to be true, but just give this place a chance! Mabeland knows just what you want and always provides!" Mabel clapped once more and everyone's clothes were instantly cleaned up and their cuts and bruises healed.

"Uh, actually, Mabel, I'm with Dipper on this," Wendy said with a small grimace, rubbing her arm awkwardly. "Gravity Falls is in trouble and I really think-"

Suddenly, a horn honked from outside the window behind Mabel and a monster truck pulled up. In it were all of Wendy's friends. "Wendy!" They all called happily.

"Wha- guys? You're safe!"

"We've got a monster truck full of fireworks, fake IDs and pranking supplies," Lee said.

Nate held up a plunger. "Wanna drive this truck into the high school and glue this plunger to the principal's head?"

Wendy's eyes actually sparkled with delight. "Yes. Yes I do." She started walking over to the window, but paused when she had a leg out of it. "Sorry, guys, I've always wanted to do that. I'll be back in just a few minutes," she promised before jumping out and into the car. The group of teens drove off cheering.

"Wendy?!" Dipper exclaimed in shock.

"Don't worry, dude. There's nothing in this world that could break me from our mission," Soos said, patting Dipper's back.

Suddenly, the doors to the room burst open and in came a muscular man wearing a wrestling mask and a belt that said "Papi" on it. "Soos, mijo. I have returned," the man said.

"Holy- whoa, whoa. Dad?" Soos asked quietly, looking at the man. Dozens of emotions, sadness, hope, flickered across his face in a matter of seconds.

"You don't remember what I look like, so I have the body of a pro wrestler and a face you once saw on a hot sauce bottle. I was never there for you, but in this world, I can be," Soos' "father" said with a smile.

"You're perfect!" Soos exclaimed happily.

"It's a trap! Don't go with him, Soos! No matter what he offers you!" Dipper warned.

The man held up a baseball and glove. "Want to play catch?"

"I'm sorry, dude. Even if it is all a dream, I've gotta play just one game." Soos ran from the room, his "father" following him and throwing the ball. "Hahaha! Come on, Dad!" The doors shut behind them.

"And then there were three," Alane sighed, looking at each of the twins. "I don't plan on leaving for anything this place conjures up for me, but I'm really interested in seeing what it does."

"You say that now, but-" Dipper began to say, but was cut off as the doors were thrown open again. He let out a gasp, and Alane turned to see what he was looking at. She made a choking noise and held a hand to her mouth.

Standing in the doorway with a familiar look of determination was a young Ford, dressed in an outfit he normally wore during the weekends at college. He looked around the room, as if searching for something, before his gaze landed on Alane.

Young-Ford smiled happily. "Alane! Thank goodness I've found you!" He said happily, his voice sounding younger as well. "I need your help with an invention I've been working on! If we can get it to work, it should reverse whatever 'curse' Bill has put on you. You can be normal again!"

Dipper looked up at Alane, who was still frozen. "It's not real, Alane," he said quietly, his tone pleading. "It's not Ford, it's just Bill trying to trick you again."

"I-I know," Alane stammered, looking at Ford's smiling face. "It's just... Ford... And he's young again, and..." She'd never expected to see Ford, _her_ Ford, the young one whom she was friends with, ever again. But now, there he was, standing right in front of her like in a dream. It was unreal. It _wasn't_ real.

"Don't give in to it!" Dipper begged. "We need to get the others and get out of here!"

"What?" She asked, looking down at Dipper in confusion. "Oh. Yeah, I'm not going to give in to it. I'm just a bit surprised," she said, taking a breath to calm her heart. For a second there, she'd felt like she were about to faint.

"You're not?" He asked happily.

"No," she said, turning back towards Mabel. "Bill designed this prison and he's projecting a fake, young Ford here because he's going off of my old feelings that he assumes I've buried over the years." Alane shrugged and put her hands in her pockets.

"But the thing is, that Ford isn't real. The _real_ Ford is Bill's prisoner, if he's even still alive. And what I want most right now isn't to see him, it isn't to be normal, it's to save you from the prison you're in." She looked at Mabel with a small smile. "This place is giving you your biggest desires because we need you to help us defeat Bill, and it's trying to keep you from coming with us. You've gotta fight it."

"I don't need any saving," Mabel said after a moment. "I'm here because I like it here and I don't _want_ to leave. These things." She gestured around her. "I know it's not real, but you can't argue with the results! I'm happy, Soos and Wendy are happy, and if you guys give it a chance, you could both be happy here, too."

"You don't get it, Mabel," Dipper sighed. "We _need_ your help, you've gotta leave this place and help us beat Bill!"

"No, Dipper," Mabel said, folding her arms. "I'm not leaving. Look, go out and enjoy Mabeland! I promise you'll find only things you consider fun here. Once you've seen everything, then tell me then if you honestly want to leave this place."

Knowing that he wasn't getting anywhere with his sister, he turned around and stormed out of the room, saying, "I'm going to go get Wendy and Soos, and we're all going to get out of here." He stopped just outside the door, besides young Ford. "You coming Alane?"

"Yeah, coming," she replied, giving Mabel a thin smile before walking over. When she passed by young Ford, however, she paused and looked at him.

Young Ford looked at her with a big, enthusiastic smile. Alane couldn't help herself; she gave him a hug before rushing out of the room. She looked at the ground as she passed Dipper, not wanting him to see how upset she was to leave behind her old friend, even though he wasn't real.


	46. Chapter Forty-Two

Outside the city was just as colorful and glittery as the inside. The grass was unnaturally green; the sky too blue. The fragrant smells of the flowers were too strong and the rainbow that stretched over the river before Alane and Dipper was way too visible and bright for there being no rain.

To their right, a large tree was swaying back and forth in a little dance. "Bum ba bum bo I'm a stuffed animal tree..." He sang.

"We're the stuffed animals teeheehee!" The stuffed animals on his branches sang during his pause.

Dipper angrily stood up and threw a rock into the water. It skipped perfectly, going incredibly far for having not even been thrown right. "Ugh, even my stone skips are perfect!" He exclaimed, sitting back down with a huff. "Who am I kidding? Maybe Mabel's right. It's a horror show out there. At least the air in here is breathable."

"Don't give up so easily," Alane said as she plucked blades of grass out of the ground in sheer boredom. "Mabel knows she has to leave here eventually and help us. Just give her some time and she'll admit it." She plucked another blade of grass and tore it in half. "Or, you know, we could just grab her and run out of this place if it came down to it."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Dipper murmured as feet approached them from behind.

"Hey, guys," Wendy said, sitting down besides Dipper.

"Oh, hey, Wendy, what's up? I thought you were busy wrecking the school or whatever," Dipper said with barely disguised disappointment.

"Yeah, that got old quick. And this music is really starting to get on my nerves. I think that stuff you said about this place is right," she said, leaning back on her hands. Alane watched her through narrowed eyes.

"Really?" Dipper asked, perking up a little. "Well, now we just need a plan."

"Kidnapping is always and option," Alane jokingly reminded him as she picked up a stone.

"Hey, Alane," Wendy said, looking at her from Dipper's other side. "Forgot to say, that Ford this place made for you is around here looking for ya."

"Thanks for telling me," Alane said slowly, standing up. She tossed the rock into the water, and it skipped all the way to the rainbow and exploded into fireworks. "I'll, uh, go tell him to bug off."

She began to walk away slowly, glancing back at Wendy. Once the girl was facing Dipper, a grin on her face, Alane stopped.

"If you were older you'd be like, my dream guy," Wendy was saying quietly.

"Wait, do you really mean that?" Dipper asked in shock.

Alane waited until Wendy was talking again to run towards her. The girl was turning in confusion when Alane's foot made contact with her face, sending the girl flying into the river.

"Alane! Why'd you do that?!" Dipper asked, jumping to his feet and moving to jump into the river. Alane grabbed him by the back of the vest. "Let go of me!"

"Dipper!" Alane said, turning him around. "Calm down! That wasn't the real Wendy."

"What?" He asked, shock still on his face. "How do you know?"

"She wasn't there when young Ford showed up, Dipper. How could she have known the place created him to try and get me to stay?" Alane asked. Realization slowly began to dawn on Dipper's face as Alane glanced out to the water. "Plus, look at that."

"Wendy" was floating in the river, completely lifeless as ripples of water formed around her body as if it were raining. Only, it wasn't rain; it was centipedes. Fake Wendy's body dissolved into a large, floating mess of the bugs before vanishing entirely.

"Pretty sure that was this place's attempt at getting you to stay," Alane muttered as she and Dipper stared at the water.

"Oh my gosh. This is crazy," Dipper said frantically, backing away from Alane and the water. "Um- I'm losing my mind."

"Calm down, Dipper." Alane tried to sooth him a bit, but the boy was panicking now.

"We have to get out of here. We have to go back. To the real. World!" He yelled, the word "world" echoing across the river and the field behind them were creatures played.

Everyone in the field and in the closer streets of Mabeland gasped. A second later, waffle guards tackled Dipper to the ground and Alane backed up in alarm. "Hey, what's going on?" She demanded as Dipper struggled.

"Under Article Smiley Face of Exhibit Squeaky Duck, you are hereby accused of breaking our one rule: mentioning reality," a waffle guard said to Dipper, ignoring Alane.

A crowd was gathering around them. In it was the real Wendy, along with Soos, his fake father and Mabel. The Mabeland creatures were muttering amongst themselves, casting glares in Dipper's direction.

"Prepare to be banished from this land forever!" The waffle guard said. Suddenly, a portal opened up besides them, leading out to the real world. You could see the fires burning in town, the monsters rampaging through the streets and a flock of Eye Bats flying over the forest near the shack.

"Mabel!" Dipper exclaimed, spotting his sister. "You're smarter than this! Bill has you hypnotized or something! Are you really gonna let them banish me?!"

"No! Of course not; that's my brother, guys! There's gotta be another way," Mabel said, looking at the waffle guards.

"Very well. If Dipper wishes to stay, he must plead his case in the ultimate trial. Of fantasy vs. reality," the waffle guard said, pulling Dipper to his feet.

"Seems pretty harsh for just saying 'real world,' don't you think?" The waffle guards glared at her and raised their spears, and Alane realized she just mentioned it too. Looking for a way out, she pulled fake Ford out of the crowd and put an arm around him. "Quoting the words someone said doesn't mean I personally mentioned the subject, does it Fordsy?" Alane asked, hoping he'd help her out.

"Not necessarily," he replied. "Given that you were talking about Dipper's arrest, quoting him shouldn't count as you personally speaking about the subject."

The guards lowered their weapons and Alane sighed with relief. "Just Dipper guilty here, no need to banish me," Alane told the waffle guards with a grin.

"You're not helping," Dipper muttered.

The waffle guards escorted Dipper and the gathered crowd to the courtroom where Dipper would have his trial. They sat Dipper up at the front behind a table, Mabel at a similar table to his left across the room. Alane sat next to Soos, Wendy being on his other side and fake-Ford on Alane's left.

Since they weren't really in the middle of planning their escape, it was alright to hang out with fake Ford while she could. Right? Wasn't like she was gonna stay there or anything, she just wanted to sit besides him. It wasn't causing anyone any harm.

"Seriously, Mabel? You're letting them take our argument to court?" Dipper asked his sister from his table.

"Hey, I didn't make the rules in Mabeland," Mabel said with a shrug.

"Yes, you did! There's a tapestry of you making the rules!" Dipper pointed to the wall besides him where a tapestry hung depicting Mabel and a few animals creating the rules.

A giraffe wearing a police uniform cleared his throat at the front of the room. "All rise! For the honorable Judge Kitty Kitty Meow Meow Face-Shwartstein," he said.

The judge poked his head out of the hole at the bottom of the cat tower, quickly crawling out and climbing up to the top where he sat down and picked up a squeaky mallet. "Order! Order! This trial begins right meow!" He declared.

"We are here to try Dipper Pines in the case of fantasy vs. reality." The words 'fantasy' and 'reality' appeared on either side of him as he said this, fantasy written in curly letters and reality more like a stamp. "If Dipper wins, Mabel will return with him to the real world! But if he loses he will be banished forever! And replaced with town darling, Dippy Fresh!" He pointed at Dippy Fresh. "Dippy, come on out."

"Flip-a-dip-dip!" Dippy Fresh said, flipping his hat in the air before posing as it landed back on his head.

Dipper pounded on the table angrily. "I hate him. So. Much!" He muttered through gritted teeth.

"The final decision will be made by a jury of your peers," the judge said. Mabel clapped her hand, and the jury was suddenly filled up with clones of herself who began to talk to and complement each other excitedly.

Her brother sighed. "Look, Mabel, this whole thing is ridiculous. But if winning a trial is what it takes for you to come home with us, then so be it."

"I'm sorry, Dipper, but I can only speak through my legal team now," Mabel said.

The doors to the courtroom opened and Xyler and Craz walked in, both wearing identical suits with the sleeves cut off. "We have a doctorate degree in hunkiness!"

"Also criminal and international law."

"Let's hear openin' statements," the judge said after the two had come in.

"Your honor, townsfolk, lovely ladies of the jury," Xyler said, and the jury Mabels began to squeal. "My case is simple: this very unrighteous dude thinks that reality is better than fantasy." A board appeared besides him and a stick appeared in his hand. "But reality is bogus, lame and whack." The words appeared on the board as he said them.

"Objection your honor, that's conjecture," Dipper said.

"Meowverruled."

"I'd like to show you this 'reality' that Dipper loves so much, and show you how it has wronged my client, and Dipper, their entire lives." Craz held out a case, and from it Xyler took out a book labelled "Mabel's Memories." "Exhibit A: Mabel's scrapbook."

The crowd muttered among themselves as Xyler opened the book. "Second grade. October tenth," Xyler said. Behind him, as if being projected like a video, you could suddenly see Dipper and Mabel. They were younger and dressed in warm clothes. Rather than the cap Dipper wore now, young-him had on a blue beanie.

"Photo day," Alane heard Dipper mutter as he, Alane and the crowd focused on the projection.

Young Dipper sniffed, rubbing his nose. "Darn allergies," he murmured.

In the chair besides his, Mabel put another bracelet on her arm, both of which were already covered with a dozen other bracelets. "Boom! A million slap bracelets! I'm gonna have the best photo ever! And how d'you like my new pigtails?" Young Mabel shook her head back and forth, waving her pigtails.

A kid chewing gum walked up behind her after having had her picture taken. "Have fun, brat," she said, taking the gum from her mouth and sticking it in Mabel's hair before walking away.

The other seated kids began to laugh as Mabel grabbed at the gum, trying to get it out. But it only got it more tangled in her hair. "Ah! Gum! You ruined my hair!" She wailed, tears welling up as she turned to her brother. "Dipper, what do I do?"

"Um, well, I, um. I don't," Dipper stammered, clearly unsure of what to do. As he searched for what to say, his sister ran off crying. "Mabel!"

"Mabel's fantasy was having a great school photo, but reality had other plans," Craz suddenly said, snapping Alane back to reality. She looked over at Mabel, who wouldn't meet her or anyone else's eyes.

"Look, that was one bad day!" Dipper protested angrily.

"One of many," Xyler corrected, looking back down at the scrapbook. "February fourteenth, fourth grade. Valentine's Day."

"Oh, come on, man, you can't," Dipper said, pulling at his hat as he looked back up at the projection.

Alane looked back up, too. The image now showed a slightly older Mabel and Dipper sitting in a classroom. Dipper was dressed in a similar outfit but with a different hat, and Mabel had her hair up and was wearing the usual bright colors. In front of them on their desks were bags, Mabel's overflowing with cards.

"How many valentines did you get, Dipper?" The younger Mabel asked as she looked at her large amount of them happily.

Young Dipper was smiling with excitement as he picked his bag up and flipped it over. Only, the smile dropped away when nothing fell out of it.

"Oh, hey, haha! Dipper didn't get any! Oh, man, I thought _I_ was the class loser! Hey, everyone, Dipstick didn't get any!" A kid who'd come over said, pointing at Dipper and laughing as the boy's face reddened.

"Dipstick! Dipstick! Dipstick!" The class chanted while laughing.

The younger Dipper got out of his chair and ran from the room in tears, covering his face to hide his embarrassment.

The kid who'd come over nudged Mabel with a laugh. "I can't believe that kid's your brother," he said as Mabel looked sadly at the doorway Dipper had just disappeared through.

"Hey, what's the point of all this? That was in the past!" Dipper yelled angrily at Xyler.

"Is your life any better now, bro?" Xyler asked sadly. The projection changed to Dipper leaning up against a log, looking upset. "Heartbreak." It changed to him leaning up against a tree, battered and bruised. "Disaster." It changed to Mabel yelling at Dipper as she fought back tears. "Broken promises. That's reality for you."

"Out there, it's nothing but heartbreak. But in here, who wants pug sundaes?" Craz said, turning to the jury. Sundaes that resembled pugs appeared in the laps of all the Mabels, who licked at the ice cream happily.

"Hand me a microphone, Xyler," Craz said, looking back at the crowd.

Xyler handed him a microphone he'd pulled from nowhere, and Craz dropped it. "Totally righteous, bro!" Xyler said happily.

"Are we brothers?" Craz asked, voice full of excitement as he looked at Xyler.

"I don't know!" Xyler replied, looking at Craz.

"What is wrong with these guys?" Alane muttered.

"I believe they're supposed to be overly enthusiastic and lovable dream-boys of Mabel's," Young Ford whispered, eyes locked on the front of the room. "But it seems to me that they just lack intelligence."

Alane grinned. "I missed you, Ford," she said quietly.

Judge Kitty Kitty Meow Meow Face-Shwartstein was batting a string that hung above him. "Well, I think we're ready for a verdict," he said as he played.

"Wait! I haven't even presented my case!" Dipper said.

The judge looked at him questioningly. "Do you even have a case?"

"Yes, I do, your honor," Dipper said, walking out from behind the table as Xyler and Craz went back over to Mabel's side of the room. Alane saw Dipper glance at his sister for a second before pointing at her. "I call as a witness: Mabel Pines!" He shouted, voice ringing through the courtroom.

"Uh, objection?" Mabel said in confusion.

"I'll allow it," the judge said, waving a paw. "Us cats are famously curious. Meow meow."

Mabel walked up to the front of the room and sat down in a new chair as the crowd muttered to themselves.

With a heavy sigh, Dipper walked over to in front of his sister. "Mabel, listen. I might not have all the answers. I'm not stylish." He gestured to Xyler and Craz, who posed besides Mabel's table. "And I'm not cool." He gestured to Dippy Fresh, who was crowdsurfing. "And I can't make pugs appear out of thin air." Just to prove it, he snapped his fingers to show nothing would happen.

The jury began to boo at him. "What, come on?" A Mabel yelled. "Guilty!" Exclaimed another.

"But I know one thing well, and that's you. And I know that although you might act like it, you don't wanna be in this fantasy world."

Mabel waved a hand at him. "Uh, pffsh, yeah right," she said unconvincingly.

"You're scared. Of growing up. And who could blame you; I'm scared, too," Dipper continued.

"Uh," Mabel said, looking nervous for a second before covering her ears. "Lalalalalalala I'm not listening!"

"Look, real life stinks sometimes, okay, I'm not gonna lie. But there's a better way to get through it than denial, and that's with help from people who care about you. It's how we've gotten through our whole lives. Just look." Dipper took the scrapbook from Xyler and opened it up before looking up at the projection that appeared.

When Alane looked back at it, she saw it'd changed back to the picture day. Young Mabel was standing behind a kid as she waited to get her picture, sniffling quietly. But young Dipper ran over looking excited. "Mabel! I figured out a way to fix your photo!" He told her.

Alane nodded to herself as young Mabel looked at her brother. "Must use the hat to cover the gum," she said to herself.

"What? You have a wig?" Young Mabel asked, sniffling still and face red from crying.

"No! But, I have a razor!" Young Dipper said, pulling a razor from his pocket and shaving a line across his head after taking his hat off.

Alane blinked slowly at the projection.

"I would've used the hat," fake Ford commented.

But young Mabel was laughing as a smile lit up her face. "You're crazy!" She said, taking the razor from him and shaving the gum and a good portion of her hair off. The two then put their arms around each other's shoulders and made goofy faces as a man took their picture for the yearbook.

The present-Mabel looked at the projection thoughtfully as it changed once more. Now it was Dipper in fourth grade sitting in the janitor's closet crying quietly. Only, he stopped as young Mabel slipped a valentine under the door that read "To my favorite brother." He picked it up, sniffling as a smile lit up his face.

"We've always been there for each other," present Dipper said, flipping a page of the scrapbook. The projection changed to Dipper putting a band-aid on Mabel, then to them fist-bumping and then to them being lowered down a cliff by a grappling hook.

Dipper shut the scrapbook, the projection vanishing as Dipper looked at his sister hopefully. "Mabel, I thought _you_ were living a fantasy, but look at me! I actually thought I was gonna stay here and be Ford's apprentice! Spend my entire teens cooped up in a basement with a labcoat? How ridiculous is that?" Dipper laughed.

"I don't know what's gonna happen in the future, but whatever it is, you don't have to fear because we'll do it together. I'm not taking Ford's apprenticeship. We've traveled to Heck and back to get you and we're goin' back together." Dipper held a hand out to his sister. "Leave this fantasy world. Let's beat Bill and grow up together."

The crowd muttered angrily to themselves as the judge banged the mallet on his stand. "Order! Order! Order in the court! Dang it, why is this hammer squeaky?!"

"You mean it? You're really coming home with me?" Mabel asked, her eyes wide as she came out of the stand and stood in front of Dipper.

"Yes. Definitely. Absolutely." He held out his arms to her and tilted his head a bit. "Awkward sibling hug?"

The crowd shrieked at this, a few, including young Ford, standing to their feet in anger."Just don't do it!" A blue bird in the crowd shouted.

"Don't do it!" Craz yelled.

The judge was hanging part way over his stand, glaring at the twins. "You do this and it's all over!" He threatened.

But Mabel didn't seem to hear them, her eyes sparkling. "Sincere sibling hug," she told him and the two embraced.

"Don't to the pats!" The judge yelled frantically.

The two patted each other's backs. "Pat pat," they both said in union.

A ripple came from where the two stood, spreading through the courtroom. The judge's wig blew off, a chair fell over and all the jury-Mabels vanished.

Mabel rubbed her eyes, as if waking up from a weird dream as she stepped away from Dipper. She looked around in disgust. "Aw, man, I never noticed how bright this place is, ugh! Have I actually been listening to the same song for an entire week?"

"Looks like Mabel's back," Alane commented happily, glancing over at Soos and Wendy before nudging Ford in the side. "See you later, pal." But young Ford didn't respond.

Judge Kitty Kitty Meow Meow Face-Shwartstein meowed in distress, pawing at his face. "Whoa, time to calm you down," Mabel said, clapping her hands together twice. But nothing happened. "Uh, why isn't this working?" She asked, clapping again.

"Because your reign over this land is _over!_ " The judge yelled before splitting open down the middle and becoming a nightmarish pile of red yarn.

As Alane looked around, the creatures in the crowd turned gray and their eyes turned red. As she watched, young Ford turned into bugs just as Wendy did and scattered across the floor, the individual insects crawling over her shoes as she jumped to her feet. 

Craz and Xyler were hugging each other and yelling, not changing like the others for some reason.

"We gotta get out of here!" Mabel exclaimed as Alane tried to not step on the bugs and the changed creatures started walking towards them.

"Soos! Wendy! Paradise is canceled!" Dipper declared, running with Mabel to the doors. Wendy and Soos followed, bursting out into the open right behind the twins with Alane behind them.

Mabel led them over to a giant version of Waddles with a saddle as the bright, colorful world around them turned gray and red. "Everyone get on!" Mabel said after having climbed onto the pig. Once they were all seated, Mabel slapped the sleeping pig in the face and it woke with a start before taking off running down the street with them on his back. "Take us to freedom, Giant Waddles! Yah!"

Giant Waddles galloped over the bounce-castle sidewalk the group had walked upon arriving in Mabeland, heading towards the wall of the bubble.

"Alright, guys, are you ready for this?" Mabel asked, yelling slightly as she pulled a giant knitting needle out of the ground as Waddles past it. She heaved it up, Alane helping her to hold it straight as she aimed it at the fast approaching wall. "Sorry, Mabeland. It's time to burst your _bubble!_ " She shouted as Waddles jumped.

When the point of the needle made contact with the bubble, the entire world vanished in a cloud of confetti, and they were all suddenly back in Gravity Falls. They flew through the air on the giant Waddles, landing on one of the cliffs before tumbling to a stop as confetti rained down on them.

Alane was the first one to sit up. "Mabel? Everyone? You guys alright?" She asked, looking around as Waddles shrunk back down to his usual size. _Guess that was actually the real Waddles,_ she thought in surprise. She noted that everyone was just as dirty and beat up as they had been upon entering the bubble.

Everyone stood up slowly, brushing dirt from themselves and their clothes. "I'm good, everyone good?" Mabel said, looking around at her friends.

Suddenly, Dipper, Soos and Wendy enveloped her in a hug. "We've missed you, Mabel," Soos said, squeezing the girl so tightly Alane was afraid he was going to snap a bone.

Alane stood off to the side awkwardly as the four hugged. Once they let go of each other, Mabel looked at her brother. "Hey, Dipper? I appreciate what you said back there, but if you want to take Ford's apprenticeship, I won't get in your way."

"Psh. And miss out on your awkward teen years? You wish," Dipper replied, laughing.

Mabel laughed. "Man, I went nuts back there. I mean come on. The real world can't be that bad, right?" She turned to look out over the town, gaze going right over Alane as she saw the havoc for the first time. A giant goat chomped at trees, fires burned and Eye Bats still flew above the town in swarms. "Oh boy."


	47. Chapter Forty-Three

The four, no, five of them now, walked along the main street in town. The pavement was cracked, cars were flipped in the road and a busted fire hydrant spewed water onto the sidewalk.

"Where is everyone?" Mabel asked from where she walked besides Dipper.

"The town's deserted," Wendy said uneasily.

"Did Bill already win?" Soos asked no one in particular.

Dipper looked nervous to Alane, but his voice didn't betray it. "Come on, guys. Let's see if we can still go hide out in the shack," he said, taking the lead.

They all sped up, and it wasn't long before Alane was trailing behind them. No one even noticed her falling behind, let alone paused to let her catch up. She could speak up and ask them to slow down. But she didn't. No point in breaking the silence.

 _I wonder if they even remember I'm here?_ She wondered haplessly, watching as Dipper and Mabel smiled at something Soos just said and Wendy laughed. _Mabel didn't even say hello to me, and I came to rescue her, too._

_I could probably slip away right now and not even be missed._

She paused in her tracks, considering this a second. But as she looked around at the fires that burned and creatures that scampered between the dark trees, she decided against it. She didn't want to be alone during this, if not because she was scared then because she knew the group was safer when she was with them.

Alane ran to catch up with everyone.

For the next few minutes, the group walked in silence down the road. They all dragged their feet with each step, even Mabel, so exhausted but unwilling to stop walking until they reached their destination.

They passed a turn off, a sign by the road reading "Gideon's Tent Of Telepathy" in faded blue, white and pink letters. A parking lot lay past it in just as bad of a condition as town, and past that was a tent a faded blue color. On the top of it was a multi-colored star with an eye.

 _Hang on- Gideon!_ Alane thought, pausing. _Did Dipper tell Mabel that he'd gone with his gang to fight off Bill's Eye Bats like he said he would?_ She looked over at Dipper, who was listening to Mabel as she told him something. She was pretty sure Gideon hadn't been mentioned yet.

Well, at least now she had a reason to start up conversation with Mabel. Alane ran to catch up with the group once more, for they'd kept going when she'd stopped by the sign. "Hey, Mabel," Alane said breathlessly, catching her friend's attention. Alane motioned for her to come over, so Mabel stopped walking and let everyone pass her before taking up the rear with Alane. Dipper glanced back at them curiously.

"What's up?" Mabel asked as they walked.

"I'm not sure if your brother told you," Alane started slowly. "But that kid, Gideon?" Disgust registered on Mabel's face at the mention of his name. "He and his little gang went to fight off some of Bill's Eye Bats so we could rescue you."

"He did?" She asked, clearly surprised.

Alane nodded. "He wanted us to let you know what he did, since he wasn't sure what'd happen to them."

They walked in silence for a moment before Mabel gave her a thin smile. "Thanks for letting me know."

"By the way," Alane said hastily, thinking Mabel was about to go walk with Dipper again. "I just want to say, it's good to-"

Alane was cut off by a sudden exclamation from Dipper. "The shack!" He said joyfully. "It's in shambles! Just like we left it."

Mabel seemed to forget they'd been talking and ran over to her brother, who's just passed the last trees blocking their view of the building.

She sighed heavily. "I just want to say, it's good to have you back," she finished her sentence, though no one was listening. The other four were already running towards the building.

"Oh, man, this is the first time I've ever felt happy going to work," Wendy said as she and the others walked through the yard, towards the door.

"Hello, house. Hello, porch. Hello, wads of gum I left stuck to the couch," Mabel said joyfully as she stepped onto the porch.

Dipper walked up behind her and moved to open the door, but stopped, hand just above the knob. "Wait, what was that?" He murmured, just loud enough for Alane to hear. She was still walking across the lawn.

The boy motioned for everyone to be quiet as he picked up a golf club. Wendy pulled a crossbow out, it'd been on her back hidden by her long hair, and aimed it at the door while Mabel took out her grappling hook. Soos turned his hat around and pounded his fists.

Alane moved to come up the steps and help them fight whatever it was Dipper heard, but as she tried to step up to the second stair, she was met by the invisible barrier. _It's still up?_ She thought in shock, putting a hand against it.

"Let's get 'em, dudes," Soos said determinedly.

"Wait, guys, I can't-"

Dipper either didn't hear her or was ignoring her, for he kicked open the door and the four of them rushed inside with a battle yell. A similar yell came from the other side, but was cut off by a gasp from the twins.

"Stan?" Alane heard both Dipper and Mabel say at once.

"Kids?" Came Stan's familiar voice.

"Grunkle Stan!" The twins yelled, followed by the pounding of their feet as they ran to Stan.

"Kids! I can't believe it! I thought I lost you two!" Stan said tearfully.

Alane stood at the barrier awkwardly as everyone inside exchanged greetings. "Uh, guys?" She called out quietly when a new voice joined their conversation. Sounded like that bratty girl from town. 

No one answered, so she tried a little louder. _"Guys?"_

Mabel appeared in the doorway, looking confused. "What is it, Alane?" She asked as everyone else, now including Stan, came up behind her.

"Um," Alane muttered, poking at the barrier and causing it to ripple. "Forgot I can't really come inside."

"Oh, yeah," Dipper muttered, eyes widening. "Oh gosh, I completely forgot about that."

"Wait- so what are we going to do?" Mabel asked, looking from Alane to everyone behind her.

"It's not what you guys are going to do, it's what I'm going to do," Alane sighed. "You guys need to stay here with your uncle. But I gotta go somewhere else."

"No! You can't leave by yourself!" Mabel protested, running over to her and embracing her in a hug. "You could get hurt out there or captured by Bill!"

"I'll be fine," Alane promised, breaking the embrace and stepping back onto the ground. "Trust me, I can take care of myself now. Heck, Dipper saw me bash a monster in the face with a truck earlier, just ask him if you don't believe I'll be alright on my own."

"Please, don't go," Mabel begged. "We'll figure something out so you can stay. Maybe Dipper can take the barrier down? Just please, you can't leave. It's not right for you to be all alone during this. We need to stick together!"

The idea of being alone out there still wasn't very appealing, but Alane knew she had to go. She was probably endangering them just by standing outside. She smiled sadly at the girl. "Mabel, I-"

But she couldn't finish.

During their conversation, an Eye Bat had flown over them and spotted Alane. She was usually so intent on watching out for them, but she'd been distracted, as had the others. And as she'd begun to speak again, it'd stopped above her and shone it's light down, turning her to stone where she stood.

 _"Alane!"_ Mabel exclaimed in shock, reaching out for her friend. But she couldn't help her, and Stan pulled her back into the house before shutting and locking the door.

Still with the sad smile on her face, mouth open like she were about to speak, the Eye Bat lifted her into the air and flew off towards Bill's Fearamid in the sky.


	48. Chapter Forty-Four

"No! _Alane!_ " Mabel yelled, struggling to get free. Stan was holding her back from the now locked door. "Let me go! We have to help her!"

"You can't do anything for her now, Mabel," Dipper told his sister sadly. "The Eye Bat got her, she's being brought to Bill's Fearamid."

"But we have to do _something!_ " She protested, eyes welling up. "We can't just let Bill take here!"

"There's nothing we _can_ do, kid," Stan said, turning Mabel around to face him. The girl let out a choked sob and buried her face in her uncle's shirt.

Dipper looked around at the hodgepodge group in the shack. He saw some gnomes, the wax head of Larry King, some Lilliputtians running around on the floor, Candy, Grenda, Pacifica, Old Man McGucket and the Multi-bear, among others. "So... What's everyone doing here?" Dipper asked no one in particular, trying to change the subject from Alane.

"It's... it's a long story," the Multi-bear said quietly.

Mabel stepped away from Stan, sniffling quietly. Her uncle patted her on the back in effort to comfort her, but when it had no effect, he sighed and walked over to a barrel. Taking a match from his pocket, he lit it and tossed it in, the papers inside catching fire and illuminating the shack.

"Welcome to what's left of normal around here. Home base."

With the light of the fire, Dipper was now able to see just how many people and creatures were gathered in the shack. There was the entire band "Sev'ral Timez," who were supporting multiple injuries, Toby Determined, Sheriff Blubs, and, to his shock, Rumble McSkirmish, a video game character who'd tried to kill him earlier in the summer.

"Do not be afraid," Rumble said upon seeing the fear that'd lit up the boy's face. "Weirdmageddon has taught me, there are some battles I cannot win. I am now Humble McSkirmish." He hung his head and a digital "-50 despair" appeared besides him.

"Mr. Pines, how'd this all happen?" Soos asked.

"So I was hammering signs out back when the sky started vomiting nightmares. I listen to a lot of AM radio so I knew what this meant: the end of the world," Stan said, lapsing into story. "What I didn't expect was what happened next.

"When that ripple thing passed over the shack, the totem pole out front started chasing me. I ran inside, but it couldn't get in. Heck, it actually turned back to normal and fell over when it got close. Turns out whatever you and my brother did to the shack with your unicorn voodoo made the crazy place invincible to weirdness."

"Of course, the unicorn spell. That's why this is the only place Bill's magic can't touch," Dipper realized.

Mabel sniffled. "It's also why it's the only place Alane can't get into..."

Sighing, Stan rustled Mabel's hair before gesturing over to Old Man McGucket. "That's when Possum Breath over here shows up leading a bunch of injured stragglers through the forest. They needed a place to stay and since the mayor got captured, I elected myself de facto chief. The plan's to stay in here and eat Brown Meat until we run out, then I vote we eat the gnomes."

"Hey! I'm short, not deaf!" One of the gnomes yelled.

Stan shushed him. "Shh. Stress will make you chewy."

"Grunkle Stan, we can't all just hide inside the shack. There's a town in need of saving. Me and Ford tried to do it, but he got captured by Bill," Dipper said sadly.

Stan had walked over to a shelf and taken a can of Brown Meat off and was now opening it. "Serves that jerk right," he said as he walked over to a chair and sat down. "My brother's had some stupid plans, but going up against an all-powerful space demon was his worst one yet. Trust me, we have everything we need right here."

Gnomes scampered over to the chair and began to fan him as Multi-Bear came over and started to massage his neck. "It's not the Ritz but at least the monsters inside know how to massage." He looked back at Multi-Bear. "You know Shiatzu?"

"Yes, I've taken some classes," the bear replied.

"So you're really just gonna let Bill win?" Dipper asked angrily.

"Look, kiddo. We got a good deal here. Besides, I'm sure wherever the rest of the townsfolk are, they're fine." Stan slammed a hand down on the armrest to show his decision was final, but accidentally hit the TV remote. The old television blared static before cutting to picture.

"This is Shandra Jimenez reporting live from the inside of Bill's castle," the newswoman on TV said. She looked frazzled, her head half shaved for some reason. She stood up against a wall, probably hiding. "Here for the first time are images of what's happened to the captured townsfolk. Viewers are advised to look away if they don't want to see their friends turned into a twisted throne of human agony."

The cameraman switched angles and now the people gathered inside the shack could see Bill's throne in all of it's glory. Only, there were no awed gasps, only the sounds of people holding back sobs. 

Bill's throne was built entirely out of townsfolk that'd been turned to stone. The camera zoomed in on them, showing the expressions of horror and fear still etched in their faces.

"Mom and Dad?" Pacifica murmured, covering her mouth as her parents appeared on screen for a moment in Bill's throne.

The next familiar faces to be seen were Wendy's dad and all of her brothers. "My family!" She exclaimed.

"Deputy Durland!" Sheriff Blubs wailed, seeing his deputy in the throne as well.

The camera zoomed back out and faced the newswoman once more. "Is there no one who will save the people of this town?" The woman was suddenly illuminated by a yellow light. "I'm Shandra Jimenez and I'm being turned into stone by a flying eyeball."

Shandra was a stone statue a moment later. The Eye Bat that'd changed her lifted her up and began to fly towards the throne as the cameraman let out a screech, dropping the camera as he too was turned to stone. The picture cut out just as the camera hit the brick ground.

Everyone in the shack let out a collective gasp.

"Oh, no. My parents are bad but even _they_ don't deserve to be turned to stone," Pacifica said quietly.

Sheriff Blubs dropped to his knees. "Curse you, Bill! Why must you take everything we love?" He wailed, tearing his shirt before covering his face as he began to sob.

"Guys, don't you see?" Mabel said, having stopped sniffling and now having climbed onto the back of Multi-Bear. "Our friends need us, but we can only save them if we fight back." She helped Dipper get up besides her.

"Mabel is right. Bill _wants_ us to run and hide. He wants us to think he's invincible. But Ford told me before he was captured that he knows Bill's secret weakness," Dipper told them.

The people and creatures looked at each other, eyes suddenly hopeful. "Weakness?" Wendy asked, looking up at Dipper.

"Now, if we band together, if we combine all of our strength, our smarts, our... Whatever Toby has... Then we just might be able to rescue Ford, learn Bill's weakness, and save Gravity Falls!"

"And rescue Alane!" Mabel added.

Everyone began to cheer, but Stan walked out in front of the Multi-Bear. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" He yelled, quieting everyone down. "Have you all forgotten who's in charge here? Besides, we're only safe inside! It's not like we can take the Mystery Shack to Bill."

"Wha--Whoa! Holy hootenany! Flapjack and fiddlebanjos. Sorry. Sorry. Got a little excited," McGucket said, walking over. He stomped a foot and slapped his knee. "What I meant to say is I think I figured out a way to fight Bill and rescue Ford. But we're all gonna have to work together."

Fiddleford snapped his fingers and a gnome hopped up, putting his busted green glasses on him. "Now," he said as everyone gathered around him. "You just..."

As McGucket spoke, Dipper glanced over at Stan. He was surprised to find his uncle standing off to the side, looking pretty angry.

"Don't worry, Ford and Alane! We're coming for you!" Soos said.

 

"Alright. I've made some thingamadiculous robomajigs in my day, but this is the first one that _won't_ be used for evil," Fiddleford McGucket said as he rolled out a blueprint he'd just created.

"Whoa! These blueprints are incredible, McGucket," Dipper said in awe, looking the prints over.

"This is your most amazing invention yet," Mabel agreed.

"Question," Soos said, looking at McGucket with narrowed eyes. "Does it have any gun-swords? I watch a lot of anime and, uh, trust me, you're gonna want some gun-swords."

"What's an 'anime?'" The old man asked, puzzled.

"We have much to discuss."

"Discuss nothing! These scribbles are a bunch of cockamamie balderdash! Excuse my French," Stan said angrily, looking from the blueprints to everyone else.

"Je ne sais quoi sacrebleu au revoir!" One of the Lilliputtians said.

"And where would you even find a bunch of idiots who would be crazy enough to build it?"

"Grunkle Stan, you're looking at those idiots," Mabel said with her first smile since Alane was taken. Everyone began to cheer.

"Idiots!" Soos said happily.

McGucket began instructing people on what they needed to build the robot right away. He sent groups to scavenge in the junkyard for the bigger parts, but the smaller things they took from Ford's lab or the shack itself. Everyone was helping, aside from Stan, who sat around grumbling.

"Whoa-what! What are you--? H-hey now! Hey hey! Don't touch that! Hey! Aah!" Stan exclaimed as they took the chair he'd been sitting on, with him still in it.

They spent the entire day building and getting the parts they needed. Soos showed McGucket some anime so he'd know what gun swords were while a team went and dug a dinosaur out of the mine shaft not far from the shack. Dipper wasn't sure _how_ they were going to attach a dinosaur to the robot, but he kept quiet about it. It was McGucket's plans; let him figure it out.

With the amount of help they had, the work was done fairly quickly. But it was still close to midnight when the last part was put on, and the group of survivors gathered around a fire outside to rest before they put their plan into motion.

"Thanks for these apocalypse sweaters, Mabel. The end of the world has never been so comfortable," Soos said, rubbing the fluffy sweater Mabel had given him. The other creatures who had accepted sweaters nodded and murmured agreement.

Pacifica was one of the people who hadn't accepted a sweater. She was shivering uncontrollably in the cold, and Mabel glared at her. "Uh! Fine, I'll wear it. But I'm not gonna like it," the girl said, grudgingly taking a llama sweater from Mabel and slipping it on over her current clothes.

"Admit it. This is the best day of the end of the world. I think we actually have a chance to beat Bill and win back our future," Mabel said happily to no one in particular.

"Yeah. Getting to actually _live_ to see our thirteenth birthday party is the only birthday present I want right now," Dipper said with a laugh.

"Hey, if we're lucky enough to get there, I guarantee this whole town is gonna throw you the best birthday party you've ever seen," Soos told him.

"Thanks, Soos. Hey, has anyone seen Grunkle Stan?"

Him and Mabel got up to search for their uncle, who was the only person not around the fire. They found him a little ways off, talking to a gnome. "This whole plan is bonkers," he was saying. "But of course no one asked the chief what he thinks. After all I've done for everyone!"

"Shmebulock!" The gnome said.

"Yeah, exactly, it's a total load of Shmebulock."

"Is something wrong, Grunkle Stan? You're acting grunklier than usual." Mabel and Dipper walked over to him as the gnome scampered off.

"It's this darn plan to save my brother. If you didn't notice, I already saved him once from that portal, and he never thanked me!" Stan said angrily. Dipper detected a bit of hurt in his eyes. "He causes the end of the world, and still somehow it's always 'Stan's the screw-up. Ford's the hero.'"

Dipper ignored the look though, angry at Stan for not wanting to save Ford. "Well maybe people think he's a hero because he didn't want to hide in the Mystery Shack!" He told him.

"Well maybe if he hid in the Mystery Shack, he wouldn't have been captured!" Stan shot back.

"Guys! Guys! Trust me, tomorrow's gonna be great! I believe in us," Mabel told them with a smile before walking back to the fire.

Dipper and Stan glared at each other for another second before the boy followed his sister.

 

The next morning...

"Alright, fellas. Let's hope this turns out better than my other inventions," McGucket said.

"Everyone ready?" Mabel asked, looking around. When they nodded, she turned to her brother. "Dipper, now!"

Dipper pulled a lever besides him and slowly, the robot stood up and started to move towards the Fearamid. The ground shuddered with each robotic step it took.


	49. Chapter Forty-Five

Alane gasped as she was unfrozen.

After rapidly blinking her eyes, it felt like she'd been staring, unblinking for an entire day, she looked around at where she was. No longer was she outside of the Mystery Shack. No, now she sat on a strange sofa in what appeared to be a fancy living room. 

The walls were black, the rug on the floor red, and a piano stood across from her, silent as no one was playing it. Confused, Alane tried to stand up, but found it difficult because her arms and ankles were chained together.

"Don't fall over, kid," Bill's voice echoed, causing her to jump. The dream demon appeared before her in his physical form. "I know you can heal, but I don't want you falling and breaking your nose. The carpet may be red, but I don't want it covered in blood."

"Bill!" She exclaimed, stumbling back and falling onto the couch. She looked up at him in a mixture of hatred and fear. "What do you want? Where am I?"

"You're in the penthouse suite, kid! The tip of the pyramid," Bill said, gesturing around him. "I know you don't eat, but want a drink? And how is the couch? I created it myself out of living human flesh!"

Eyes suddenly opened all over the couch as it actually began to groan. With a shriek, Alane jumped back to her feet. She looked at the couch shakily. _Did he make it out of people from the town?_ She wondered, feeling her heart drop as she turned back to Bill. "What do you want?" She asked again with a little less gusto behind it.

"I want you to help me out with old Fordsy," Bill said, shrinking down a bit and floating besides her. Putting a hand behind her back, he turned her to the right. Alane had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming.

Ford was hanging above the floor, his wrists and ankles bound by chains. His head hung, lifeless, and his clothes and flesh smoked as if he'd just been burned. The only reason Alane knew he was still alive was the faint groan that came from him.

"What are you doing to him?!" Alane demanded, turning to Bill. Her hair flared black at the roots for a moment.

"Torturing him of course," Bill said, rolling his eye as he floated over to Ford. He put an arm around the man's shoulders, startling him. Ford looked around, gaze landing on Alane. He didn't say anything, but a dozen emotions flickered across his face.

"But, why?" Alane asked. She wanted to run over, but the chains on her ankles made that impossible. "Ford isn't a threat to you!"

"I know he isn't a threat," Bill said, flicking Ford's nose before floating back over. "But I need some information from him. I was hoping you could help me get it.

"As it turns out, my weirdness can't escape the magical confines of this town. But ol' Sixer knows an equation that can collapse the barrier and allow me and my henchmaniacs to reek havoc on the world."

"And why would I help you?" Alane demanded. "After you tricked me? After you lied to me my entire life? You're insane if you think I'd help!"

Bill gave a long, fake sigh. "You fleshbags really make things more complicated than they have to be." He snapped his fingers and the chains holding Alane lengthened, attaching themselves to the walls. A second later, she was hanging suspended just like Ford. "But, really, I didn't expect you to help me willingly."

"No, wait!" Ford groaned.

But Bill ignored him, and a second later Alane was screaming with agony as bolts of electricity shot through the chains and into her body.

"If you don't tell me what I need to know when I torture _you,_ " Bill said, turning to Ford. "Let's see if you'll tell me when I torture someone you care about." 

 

The Mystery Shack robot approached the Fearmid. Dipper wasn't sure how they managed to do it, but they converted the entire building into a functioning robot. It was a bit hodgepodge, but they'd done it.

The body of the robot was the shack itself; complete with the soda machine still at the entrance to the gift shop. It's right arm was robotic, made from scrap metals and an abandoned car they'd "borrowed." The left arm was metal as well, but rather than a hand it had the living t-rex they'd dug out of the sap in the mine shaft. The legs were a combination of scraps, materials from Ford's lab and cars.

Overall, Dipper thought it looked pretty cool.

 

Alane let out another screech as electricity shot through her. When it stopped, she sagged against the chains, panting and smoking just as Ford has been when she'd unfrozen. Every part of her burned, but even as she hung there limp, she was healing.

Bill would shoot her with more electricity as soon as she was fully healed, to ensure he caused the most pain and damage without killing her.

"What do you think, pals? Another five hundred volts? Or should I up the ante?" Bill asked, turning to his pals. They'd moved out to the main part of the Fearamid: Bill's throne room. Ford was on an arm of the throne yelling, his legs chained to the spot. But Alane couldn't hear him, her ears were ringing and he was too far away.

"Hit her with a thousand!" One of the monsters yelled, the others yelling their agreement.

"Hold on," Bill said suddenly, turning to the entrance of the Fearamid. "Do you hear that?" 

Suddenly, a t-rex head exploded through the doors to the throne room, roaring as brick flew this way and that. It vanished as the arm retracted, and through the hole Alane could see...

The Mystery Shack?

"What?!" Bill yelled.

"It's the Shacktron, dude!" Soos yelled into a microphone. He held in his other hand a flag that said "Take Back The Falls" on it. Atop this was the wax head of Larry King.

"They made the house into a robot. Fascinating!" Larry King said.

"So the mortals are trying to fight back, huh? Adorable! Henchmaniacs, you know what to do! Take them out!" Bill commanded. The monsters obeyed, running to where the door used to be and jumping out of the Fearamid. As they fell towards the ground, they grew in size, all of them becoming about as large as the robot.

 

"This was a bad idea," Stan said from just inside the shack.

"Uh, hey, dudes. Is this thing on? Test," Soos said into the microphone. "Heh. I just wanted you monster dudes to hand over Ford and Alane or we'll have to, like, fight and junk. Heh. Hey, you're a little cutie." He looked down at the smallest monster on the ground.

"I have butchered millions on countless moons," the monster's voice came, his mouth un-moving and eyes flashing red with each word.

"Whoa. I liked you better before you talked. Real... Real bring down, this guy."

"Attack!" A large pink monster screeched.

"All right, dudes!" Soos yelled, running into the shack as the monsters advanced on them.

"Everyone! Like we planned! Three, two, one. Go!" Dipper yelled, and the robot ran towards the monsters.

Candy and Grenda operated the arms, punching the smaller monster and another while biting them with the t-rex. Mabel lifted Waddles up and he bit a lever, pulling it down and causing the Shacktron to shoot several of the demons away. She laughed happily. "Good pig."

At the back of the shack, McGucket controlled the tail of the Shacktron, which was the neck and head of a sea monster robot he'd created earlier that summer. "Get em, Gobblewonker!" He hooted happily, using the mouth of the machine to bite an Eye Bat from the air.

On the outside of the Shacktron, Rumble McSkirmish shot fireballs at the Eye Bats, taking two down. "Hya! Hya!"

"Oh, no, you don't! Wendy yelled, launching herself from the porch of the shack and onto an Eye Bat that'd been trying to fly away. She pulled it's wings, steering it towards one of the monsters and turning it's head to stone with the beam it shone from it's eye. Wendy then flew it back to the shack, kicking it in the head as she jumped off of it and back onto the porch. It plummeted to the ground, stunned by her kick.

"Everyone! Incoming!" Multi-Bear said as a monster rammed into them. The people and creatures inside screamed as the robot tilted backwards.

"Everybody! Maximum power!" Mabel shouted.

Stan opened up a door labeled "Exit" in bold, red letters. But on the other side was just open air. "Does this thing have an escape hatch?"

"And... Now!" Dipper yelled, turning a wheel. The Shacktron steadied itself, turning to the monster. Candy and Grenda used the arms to grab him and throw him past the Fearamid itself.

 

"Guys, seriously? You had, like, one job to do here," Bill sighed, rubbing his closed eye as a tooth monster ran past on the ground, on fire and screaming.

"Bravo, Dipper and Mabel!" Ford shouted.

Something seemed to occur to Bill, and he turned to Ford. Alane was sure that if he had a mouth, he'd be smiling. "Well, would you look at that. Those kids really care about you. And you care about them." His eye turned red and his voice deepened for a moment. "Don't you?"

"What are you..." Ford began to say, but trailed off, his eyes widening. "Oh. Oh, no."

"Perhaps torturing those kids'll make you talk," Bill laughed. "Seeing as you don't really care about Alane being tortured."

"No. No! Not the kids! You ca-." Ford was cut off as Bill turned him back to gold.

"Let's get this over with," Bill said as he floated over to the exit.

As he crawled out, Alane glared at him from behind. "You lay one finger on Mabel or Dipper and I will straight up _kill_ you, Bill!" She shouted angrily, but the demon ignored her.

 

Outside, Bill stood in front of the Shacktron. He raised a fist, it growing with every inch higher it got. Once it was above his head, he slammed it down on the robot.

Only, when he raised it up once more, the Shacktron was perfectly fine.

"What the? No! No! No! No! No!" Bill yelled, growing ten more arms and pounding the robot with all of them. But the barrier around it protected it from any damage he tried to inflict.

 _"Attack!"_ Mabel shouted.

Grenda turned the t-rex towards Bill and punched it forward. The dinosaur bit Bill's eye, tearing it from the socket. "Aah! My eye! Do you have any idea how long it takes to regenerate that?" Bill exclaimed, covering the space where his eye used to be with his hands.

"We've got him distracted. Now's our chance," Dipper told everyone.

"Rescue team, move out!" Mabel said.

Mabel put her grappling hook in her sweater and Soos put the memory gun in his backpack. Dipper took the height-altering crystal flashlight from his own backpack and tested it on a Mystery Shack snowglobe to make sure it still worked. The snowglobe doubled in size, so he shrunk it back down before putting the flashlight back in his pack.

Once they had their supplies, Dipper, Mabel, Stan, Soos, Wendy, Pacifica, McGucket and Sheriff Blubs went to their exit tubes at the back of the shack. 

Dipper looked around at everyone determinedly. "Okay everyone. We get in, rescue Ford and Alane if we can find her, get out, save the world. Piece of cake," he said.

"Just so we're clear. If I die, I'm suing all of you," Pacifica said, pushing some blonde hair from her face with a huff.

"Hey, on second thought, maybe we could come up with a plan that _doesn't_ involve us plummeting to our certain death," Stan suggested, looking around at everyone.

"Now!" Wendy shouted, completely ignoring Stan. She pressed a button before stepping back into her tube and being sucked up. The others followed suit, even Stan, though slowly.

One after another, the rescuers shot from the Gobblewonker's mouth, straight towards the opening on Bill's Fearamid and over the demon himself. Bill still flailed in the air, hands covering his empty eye socket as he let out pain filled screams.

"Oh, man, oh, man," Dipper muttered to himself as he plummeted.

Mabel flew past him in the air, doing cartwheels. "Woohoo! Hahaha!" She laughed happily.

As they grow closer to the Fearamid, they begin to pull their parachutes. _Please work,_ Dipper thought as he pulled the string to his.

To his absolute relief, it opened, and a large parachute made of sweaters billowed out behind him, slowing his descent. He landed at the opening of the Fearamid right after Mabel, stumbling as he touched the black brick.

The boy shook the parachute off of his back, letting it drop to the ground as the others landed. He waited until everyone was there and parachute-free before turning to the throne room.

What he'd seen on the television hadn't prepared him.

The throne was _giant,_ bigger than the Mystery Shack itself. Though he was pretty far away, he could still make out the anguished faces of those Bill has used to build the throne, and they only became more pronounced as he and the others walked closer.

"It's even worse up close," he muttered.


	50. Chapter Forty-Six

Alane perked up upon hearing Dipper's voice and the patter of feet. She looked around wildly before spotting them on the ground, walking towards Bill's throne.

"Guys!" She shouted. Mabel stopped, looking around in confusion, but continued on a second later.

 _They can't hear me, I'm too far away,_ she thought with dread, looking for means of getting down. _If they get Ford and leave, Bill will just use me as leverage to get him back, or maybe even to get that equation... I've gotta get down before they leave._

 _But it's not like I can fly._ Worry etched her face as she looked down at the ground. _I survived that jump from the mall, but will I survive this? It's gotta be twice as high at least!_

She took a deep breath. Thinking about the danger wasn't doing any good; the group had already reached Bill's throne.

Alane turned to look at the chain holding her right arm and tugged at it. When that did nothing, she pulled with all her might. It barely moved, but Alane heard something that sounded as if the metal chains were bending.

 _I've gotta change,_ she realized. _Not a full change though; I just need to get to that middle ground so I can break the chains and survive hitting the ground from this high._

If changing even did anything extra, that is. The eyes were already open, so, theoretically, she was already at her strongest.

Sighing, she narrowed her eyes. Mabel was using a grappling hook to get up onto the throne. _I need to try._

"Okay, what makes me mad?" She wondered aloud. "What gets me _really_ worked up..."

Bill was the first thing to pop into her mind, followed up by the memory of Ford in chains and smoking like she'd been just a minute ago. But she wasn't changing. _C'mon, think!_ She growled to herself. What else was there?

Mabel crying. Young fake Ford turning into bugs. The dream-thing Bill had caused that led her to believe she'd hurt him; that had led to all of this for her. Seeing Fiddleford living in the dump. Wendy and her friends ganging up on her and making fun of the old man.

She'd been keeping her eyes closed as she thought, but now she opened them. She flicked a strand of hair in front of her face and looked at it. It wasn't completely black, but it was getting there.

 _But that's everything that really gets me worked up,_ she thought in panic. Across the room, Dipper was speaking to Gideon. The kid was in a cage suspended above the ground, dancing. Bill had cursed him to dance forever for his amusement. _I'm running out of time!_

Then it hit her.

The one thing that never ceased to upset her, anger her, make her wish she'd never been born.

Herself.

She was a complete monster. Yes, Bill had cursed her, but he hadn't psychically made her do anything. She'd been the one to make the final decision with everything; with leaving the college without speaking to Ford, with going places after that, with killing that unicorn.

Oh gosh. She killed a unicorn.

Every wrong thing, every single thing she'd ever done that'd hurt someone, that hurt herself, she'd decided to do. It wasn't Bill who'd made her do any of it. It'd been solely her. While Bill may be a dream demon, _she_ was the real monster.

That did it. Alane felt the change starting and she knew she had to act fast. Her skin was paling as she looked down at her legs. With a huff of effort, she yanked her legs forward, ripping the chains from the walls as she did. As soon as they were no longer connected to the bricks, they vanished. Just another one of Bill's spells.

Alane then looked at each of her arms. She ripped them out at the same time, the chains vanishing just like the others.

And then she plummeted to the floor.

She felt her bones shatter on impact and let out a strangled groan. The bricks beneath her cracked loudly, and the blood from her now broken nose and other injuries seeped into the crevasses.

The sound of her impact echoed through the Fearamid, catching the attention of the rescuers. As Alane slowly pushed herself up, her arms shaking and covered with her own blood from where bone had broken through skin before healing, she glimpsed Dipper and Mabel running over to her.

Alane put a hand to her face, moving her nose back into place and covering the blood on her as the twins neared.

"Alane!" Mabel exclaimed happily as she neared. Only, she stopped dead a few feet away. "Are you alright?"

"Just... Give me a minute," Alane gasped, pain shooting through her as she spoke. It was difficult to breath.

Dipper was looking around. "Where did you just fall from?" He asked.

Alane sat back on her knees, wiping blood from her face with one hand while using the other to point up. "I was chained to the ceiling," she muttered, turning her head away from the twins as she spat out some blood and part of a tooth.

"But, there are no chains?" Dipper asked, looking away with a red face as Alane raised her white t-shirt a little to inspect her stomach.

"They were a spell from Bill," Alane said, catching sight of two of her lower ribs poking out. With a deep breath, she pushed them back in, the skin healing up over them. "Vanished when I broke them."

Now being able to breath normally, Alane slowly stood up. Mabel and Dipper rushed to either side of her and supported her by her arms when her legs began to shake. "I think I'm good," she gasped, gingerly taking her arms back from the twins and stretching. The remaining bones that had come out of place snapped back in and she suddenly felt a lot better.

"Hey, um, Alane?" Mabel said, eyeing something above her face. "Your hair is..."

"Oh?" She pulled a strand of hair in front of her face. It was black still, but slowly fading. "Yeah, I know. Had to change to get down."

"Wait, you did it on purpose?" Dipper asked, surprised.

Alane shrugged. "Yeah, I did."

"Does this mean you can control it now?" Mabel asked hopefully.

"Maybe, I don't know." Alane wiped her face again with her shirt sleeve before pointing over at the others. "Hey, weren't you guys in the middle of something?"

"Oh, right!" Dipper exclaimed, running over to them. Alane followed more slowly with Mabel at her side, ready to support her if she started to have trouble walking.

"Which one do we have to pull, Gideon?" Dipper called up to the kid once he was back at the throne.

"Gosh darn it, Dipper! Mayor Tyler, pull him!" Gideon said in annoyance before wailing, "My legs are so tired from my adorable dance!"

Dipper pulled at Tyler's arm. He rattled before turning back to normal and breaking free. This set off a chain reaction, causing the chair to collapse. As it did so, the townsfolk returned to normal. Deputy Durland hit Gideon's cage, knocking it from the chain and sending it plummeting to the floor. It busted on the ground, and Gideon flew out onto the pile of now normal, not-stone people.

"Ugh. My mouth tastes like nightmares," a woman Alane recognized as Lazy Susan said.

Robbie fell down from the throne, hitting his head on the ground and sending a bottle a spray paint rolling out of his hoodie. "I think I'm dark and tortured for reals now," he muttered.

A man sat up from the pile of people. "This experience will forever scar Tad Strange."

Gideon was busy ripping off the costume he wore over his normal clothes. "No more sailor suit!" He yelled, panting heavily as shreds of the clothing fell to the floor.

Wendy ran over to her dad and brothers, teary eyed. "Guys!" She yelled.

"Mom! Dad!" Pacifica called happily, running over to her parents.

"Durland!" Sheriff Blubs ran over, shoving Pacifica's parents over in the process.

"My Blubs!" Durland said happily.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!" Blubs said, teary as he hugged the other man. Everyone clapped and cheered.

Ford, who'd been on the arm of the throne before, now unfroze. He looked around in confusion before his gaze lit up as it landed on Dipper. "Kids! Aah, you did it! I knew I could count on you two. Haha!" He said happily, looking around at everyone. His gaze skimmed right over Alane and Mabel, landing on Fiddleford McGucket instead. His expression suddenly became sad.

"Fiddleford. I-I haven't seen you since we parted ways. You must hate me," he muttered, hanging his head as the man walked over.

The shorter man looked up at him silently for a moment, his eyes sad. But then a small smile broke out on his face. "I've tried forgettin'. Maybe I should try forgiving. Come here, old friend," McGucket said, giving Ford a hug.

"Hey, good to see you too, bro. Now let's get outta here, huh?" Stan said in annoyance from behind McGucket.

"Listen, Uncle Ford, we don't have a lot of time. Remember how you told me before you were frozen that you knew Bill's weakness?" Dipper asked.

"Yeah, a secret way to defeat him?" Mabel chimed in, walking over.

"I-I do!" Ford pulled some gloves from his pocket, putting them on as he looked around at everyone. "Now, does anyone have a pen? Pencil? Anything?" He spotted the can of spray paint. "Ah." He walked over and grabbed it. "Perfect."

"Uh, we've got Bill outside, but I don't know how long we can keep him occupied," Dipper murmured as Ford began to draw something on the floor with the paint.

"Yes, yes. Good, good," Ford muttered distractedly.

"Drawing a circle on the floor. Well, he's lost his mind," Stan said, folding his arms.

"My mind is fine. And there is a way to beat him. With this." Ford stepped back, dropping the paint onto the ground.

On the ground before him was a blue circle. At it's center was Bill, and then in little boxes around the outside were symbols. Glasses, a hand, a llama, a broken heart... Everyone looked at it in confusion.

"The world's most confusing game of hopscotch?" Pacifica asked.

"No, a prophecy. Although it would be a pretty fun game of hopscotch," he admitted. "Many years ago I found ten symbols in a cave. Some I recognized then, some I only recognize now. The native people of Gravity Falls prophesied that these symbols could create a force strong enough to vanquish Bill. With Bill defeated, his weirdness would be reversed and the town could be saved. 

"This whole time I though that it was just superstition. But seeing you all here now, I finally understand that it's destiny. Dipper, the pine tree. Mabel, the shooting star," Ford said. The twins stepped forward, standing on their respective symbols.

Soos looked down at a question mark. "The question mark. This one's unsolvable," he murmured. Alane sighed, nudging him onto the spot with her less-bloody hand.

Wendy pushed Robbie onto the mark for the broken heart. "That one's easy. You've been rockin' that dumb hoodie since the seventh grade."

"Whoa," Robbie breathed, looking at his heart hoodie before raising his head. "Destiny hoodie."

"The Tent of Telepathy sign!" Dipper exclaimed, pointing to a star with an eye. "That must be Gideon."

"Whoo! An excuse to stand next to Mabel," the kid said with a grin.

Mabel looked at him sideways. "Don't turn this into a big deal."

"Oh, I won't," the boy said before turning his head and whispering. _"I will."_

Ford stepped onto one of the symbols. "Hold hands, everyone. This is a mystical human energy circuit."

"Ice? Who's ice?" Dipper asked, looking at one of the remaining spots.

"The symbols needn't all be literal, Dipper. It just has to be someone cool in the face of danger."

Lee, Tambry, Nate and Thompson began to chant. "Wendy! Wendy! Wendy!"

"Heheh. Shut up, you guys," she laughed, stepping onto the ice symbol.

"Much like the spectacles need to be someone scholarly," Ford said.

McGucket stood on the glasses. "Heeheh!"

Pacifica stood on the llama symbol besides him, looking down at the sweater Mabel had given her. "This is freaky."

"Now hold hands, everyone," Ford said once more.

McGucket held out a hand to Pacifica. It was covered with dirt and grime. "Ew! I'm not touching that," Pacifica said in disgust.

Her father and mother came up behind her. "Do it, sweetie. Do the one thing no one in our family has ever done: touch the hillbilly," her father said. Pacifica hesitantly held McGucket's hand.

To Alane's awe, the circle began to glow as thunder rumbled from outside. Dark mist was encircling the Fearamid, some gusting in through the opening at the front.

"Great Uncle Ford! It think it's working!" Dipper said excitedly.

"Hoohoo! Heehahahaha!" McGucket laughed.

"Yes! This is it!" He turned to the rest of the townsfolk gathered around. "The rest of you get out. It's too dangerous!"

"I'm not leaving," Alane muttered, folding her arms. No one noticed, nor heard her as the others ran out of the Fearamid.

"We just need one more person..." Ford said, looking around. His gaze landed on Stan, who stood a little ways off with his back to them all. "Stanley! Stanley, get over here. You're the only one left."

"You realize this is a bunch of hogwash, right? You really think some caveman graffiti is gonna stop that monster?" Stan grumbled, turning around.

"Dang it, old man! Now's not the time!" Gideon yelled.

"Come on!" Wendy yelled.

"What are you doing? You're gonna ruin this!" Pacifica said.

"I've never held hands this long and I am very uncomfortable," Robbie added.

"Whoa. Hey. I'm not the enemy here, people. Don't forget who literally created the end of the world," Stan said.

"That was actually my fault too," Alane corrected him, walking around the circle with her hands in her pockets.

Ford sighed. "I'm sorry, Stanley. I know. Just help me fix it. Please."

"Fine. Just do one thing. Say 'thank you.'"

"What?"

"I spent thirty years trying to bring you back into this dimension and you _still_ haven't thanked me! You want me to shake your hand? Say 'thank you.'"

"Fine. Thank you," Ford said grudgingly.

Stan walked over and held Ford and Soos' hands. "Now, see. Between me and him, I'm not always the bad twin," Stan said.

"Between him and me." The eyes of everyone in the circle widened as Stan took in a sharp breath, visibly tensing.

"Oh no," Alane breathed.

"Grammar, Stanley," Ford said.

"I'll 'grammar Stanley' you!" He let go of Soos' hand and threw a punch at Ford's face. Alane wasn't quick enough to prevent the fight from breaking out, like she'd been in the lab. Stan's fist made contact with Ford's cheek, sending him stumbling back. "You stuck up son of a gun! I mean come on!"

Ford let go of Robbie's hand and hit Stan back. He seemed to haven't felt the punch. "Don't jeopardize this, you idiot! Everything's on the line!"

"Guys, stop it!" Mabel said.

"Join hands!" Dipper said.

"You two need to sort these issues out some other time!" Alane said.

The twins were trying to pull their uncles apart as the men hit each other and yelled nonsense. Alane was walking over to help, but skidded to a halt as Bill entered the Fearamid. Everyone froze up and looked at him, fear in their eyes.

Bill's yellow eye glowed in the dim light, menacing as ever as he looked at everyone. "Oh no, it's Bill. Right? Isn't that what you're all thinking? Hey, Gideon, why aren't you dancing? Chop chop, huh?"


	51. Chapter Forty-Seven

Bill laughed menacingly. "This is just too perfect! Didn't you brainiacs know the zodiac doesn't work if you don't all hold hands? And what's better, you've brought every threat to my power together in one easy-to-destroy CIRCLE!" On the word, the circle began to burn and everyone jumped back.

As the people frantically patted out their burning hair or clothes, Bill grabbed Stan and Ford. He looked at them both, his eye piercing. "You guys wanna see what happens to your friends when you can't get along?" He asked.

"Hey! You give them back!" McGucket yelled.

"You've gone too far, Cipher!" Gideon joined in.

"Yeah! We're not scared of you!" Wendy pulled the ax from her belt loop.

"Oh, but you should be." Bill snapped his fingers. Everyone but the brothers he held, the twins and Alane floated up into the air.

Mabel yelled. "Oh no!" Dipper exclaimed.

"You know, this castle could really use some decorATIONS!" The people floating above him suddenly turned into tapestries. On each one was a picture of one of the people screaming, and behind them their symbol on the zodiac. "Looks like it's too late for your friends, Stanford."

Dipper and Mabel let out a scream as a cage suddenly encased them. Alane ran over and tugged at the bars.

"Ah! Kids!" Stan yelled.

"But you can still save your family," Bill continued, flying down close to the cage. He ignored Alane as she feebly tried to pry apart the bars. "Last chance: tell me how to take Weirdmageddon global and I'll spare the kids!"

"No! Don't do it!" Dipper told Ford.

"Yeah! Bill makes bad deals!"

"Don't you toy with me, shooting star. I see EVERYTHI--!" His usually white-ish yellow eye depicted the galaxy for a second. But then Mabel sprayed it directly with the blue paint. "Ow! Not again! Why?! Every time!"

"Nice shot, pumpkin!" Stan said as he and Ford were released and dropped to the ground.

"I just regenerated that eye!" Bill yelled angrily.

"I _know_ that hurts because I've accidentally done it to myself! Multiple times!" Mabel shouted with a smile.

Dipper pulled the height-altering crystal flashlight out and shot the cage. Alane jumped back as it suddenly enlarged, the twins jumping through the now widely spaced bars as Bill continued to scream in pain.

"Save yourselves. Run! We'll take care of Bill!" Dipper told his uncles and Alane.

"What? That's a suicide mission!" Ford protested. The expressions he and Stan wore looked like those of two men simultaneously having ten heart attacks.

"Trust us. We've beat him before..."

"...and we'll beat him again!" Mabel and Dipper fist-bumped before the girl turned to Bill. "Hey! Bill! Come and get us, you pointy jerk!" Bill growled at the twins before they ran off further into the Fearamid, Mabel blowing a raspberry as she left.

"What? No! It's too dangerous!" Ford yelled.

"I'll go after them," Alane said, running forward, closely followed by Stan and Ford nonetheless. Only, they'd gone but a few steps before a new cage rose up around them.

"Not so fast. You three wait here!" Bill turned red, growing six more arms. "I've got some children I need to make into corpses." His voice deepened as he crawled off through the tunnel like an over sized spider. "Seeya real soon."

"No! Wait! No! No! Oh, what do we do? What do we do?!" Stan yelled, grabbing hold of the bars.

"Kids!" Ford called.

When nothing answered but the distant sound of Bill yelling, Stan sagged against the cage. "Oh, I can't believe this. The kids are gonna die and it's all my fault. Because I couldn't shake your stupid hand! Uh, dad was right about me. I am a screw-up."

"Ah, don't blame yourself. I'm the one who made a deal with Bill in the first place. I fell for all his easy flattery. You would have seen him for the scam artist he is," Ford muttered as he sat down by his brother.

"How did things get so messed up between us?" Stan asked.

"We used to be like Dipper and Mabel. The world's about to end and they still work together. How do they do it?"

"Easy. They're kids. They don't know any better." Ford suddenly stood back up. "Whoa, where you goin'?"

"I'm going to play the only card we have left. Let Bill into my mind. He'll be able to take over the galaxy and maybe even worse, but at least he _might_ let the kids free," Ford said quietly.

"What?! Are you kiddin' me?! Are you honestly telling me there's nothing else we can do?!" Stan exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

"Bill's only weak in the mind space. If I didn't have this darn plate in my head we could just erase him with the memory gun when he steps inside my mind." Ford picked the gun up from off the floor where Soos had dropped it earlier.

"What if he goes into _my_ mind? My brain isn't good for anything," Stan suggested.

Ford chuckled. "There's nothing in your mind he wants. It _has_ to be me. We need to take his deal. It's the only way he'll agree to save you and the kids."

"Do you really think he's gonna make good on that deal?"

"What other choice do we have?"

"Simple," Alane said, snapping the two out of their conversation. She quickly shut her phone before placing it in her pocket. "Bill goes into my mind."

"What?" Ford asked in confusion as she walked over. His eyes widened upon seeing her bloody clothes. "Oh, gosh. Alane, what happened to you?"

"Fell from the ceiling." She waved a hand dismissively. "But look, I think Bill should go into my mind."

"How will that do anything?" Stan asked skeptically.

"Look. When Bill gets back, I'll tell him Ford told me the equation. I'll make a deal with him, and when he's in my head you can erase him from existence," she said simply, looking at the two brothers. "He'll think I'm trying to preserve my own life. He'll get a kick out of it and won't think about the reasons as to why I wouldn't _ever_ do something like this."

"But, Alane," Ford said quietly. "If you do this, your mind will be erased as well."

"How about me and you just switch clothes? Make him think I'm you, then I'll make a deal and you can erase my mind?" Stan suggested to Ford, turning away from Alane.

"No you can't do that." She glared at him. "Your mind will be erased too, and you actually have a family. It'll be more of a loss than my mind."

Ford looked a little panicked. "Neither of you are erasing your minds. Just let me make a deal, I'll sort this out."

"No, Ford," Alane said evenly, looking at him. "I've made up my mind. I'm doing this.

"Bill... What he said, it's been eating me alive these past few days," she continued quietly, wrapping her arms around a torso like a self-given hug. "I had a family and I don't even remember their names or what they looked like. I've lived my entire life believing I was a monster because that's what _he_ told me I was.

"But you two?" She gave a sad laugh. "You guys got each other, you have Mabel and Dipper and friends and a life. Me? If I vanished, the world wouldn't notice. Heck, it may even be better off. I _want_ to erase my mind. There's a lot you guys don't know about me, a lot I didn't write down in my diary, that I'd like to forget."

Ford began to speak, but she cut him off. _"I killed a freaking unicorn, Ford!"_ She exclaimed, getting a little shaky. "I want to forget I did that! I want to forget all those years I spent in hiding away from people with Bill as my only company. Please, I'm begging you, _just let me do this for you!"_

The two brothers looked at each other uncertainly. "Please," she murmured, looking at the ground.

"I guess, if-" Ford began to say, but was cut off as Bill re-entered the room, Dipper and Mabel both in his grasp.

"Alright, Ford. Time's up," he said, stopping in front of the cage. The twins struggled in his hands, fighting to get free but not even budging him. "I've got the kids. I think I'm gonna kill one of 'em now just for the heck of it!" His eye suddenly changed to the pine tree symbol. "EENIE..." Changed to a shooting star. "MEENIE..." Back to a pine tree. "MINEE..." His eye changed back into a shooting star, and lit up with red and black. "YOU!"

"Wait!" Alane yelled, just as Bill raised his fist that contained Mabel. "Bill, stop. Ford told me the equation."

"What? Alane? What are you doing?!" Ford exclaimed, going along with it. He took a step forward, Stan behind him glaring.

"Oh?" Bill asked in surprise, his extra arms vanishing as he shrunk down. He dropped Mabel and Dipper to the floor. "And now what do you plan on doing, huh? You gonna tell me?"

"Yes," she replied, shock registering on his and the twins' faces.

"No, Alane!" Ford yelled, taking another step towards her. But Bill opened part of the cage and pulled Alane out, shutting it just as Ford came over.

"Good choice, kid," Bill said smugly, setting her on the ground. Alane wouldn't face the twins, not wanting to see the betrayal on their faces.


	52. Chapter Forty-Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **GORE/VIOLENCE WARNING!**

Dipper stared in horror at Alane as she stood in front of Bill. The girl didn't face them, her gaze focused solely on the demon before her.

"I knew it!" He shouted angrily, getting to his feet. "You've been working for Bill this entire time!"

Mabel sat on the floor, too shocked to speak or move. Ford banged his fist on the bars of the cage behind them. "You little backstabbing brat!" Stan yelled.

"Might I ask, Alane. Before I go destroy the world," Bill mused, his eye a big smile. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"I value my life more than their's," Alane said simply. "You're going to find a way out of here eventually, so I might as well save myself while I still have some knowledge to offer you."

Bill laughed loudly. "Ah, kid, you never cease to amaze me! Alright then, what's the equation?"

"It's long," Alane said, shifting her footing slightly. "It'd be dangerous if I messed a part of it up. You'd better just enter my mind and see it for yourself."

"Good thinking," Bill said, the world around them suddenly becoming gray as he prepared to enter her mind.

"But," Alane continued, raising a hand to stop him. "I have a deal to make you."

"Oh?" He asked, genuinely curious as the world reverted back to color. "After all these years, you're finally gonna make a deal with me? What's the occasion? More importantly, what's the deal?"

"The deal, Bill, is that after you have the equation, you will not kill me," she said. "You will not harm me in any way, or let any of your minions harm me. I want to be there, reeking havoc when the barrier is down, not locked up in a cell awaiting torture.

"I also want you to spare Mabel," Alane said. "Dipper too, if you feel like it. If we're conquering the world, I want servants to do things for me."

He let out another loud laugh. "Oh, kid, whatever you want," he laughed, holding out a hand which begun to blaze with blue fire. "It's a deal."

Alane hesitated a second before stretching forth her hand and shaking his. Bill suddenly vanished, and Alane stiffened. A second later, she collapsed to her knees.

The cage Ford and Stan were in vanished as soon as Alane collapsed. Dipper expected them to run over and try to get Bill out of her head, but they just stood there, looking at the girl sadly.

"Oh, Alane..." Ford murmured, pulling the memory erasing gun from his coat. "Why are you making me do this..?"

"What's going on?" Dipper asked, looking from Stan to Ford as the man walked towards Alane.

Stan rubbed his face. "Alane is sacrificing her mind so Ford can erase Bill," he muttered.

"Wait, what?" Mabel asked, blinking for the first time in a full minute as she looked over at Stan. "'Sacrificing her mind?' She's not going to forget us, is she? She's not going to forget that we're friends?"

The look Stan and Ford gave them sent his sister into tears. Dipper felt guilt churning in his belly as Ford stopped in front of Alane and raised the gun.

The last moments of Alane being herself... He'd been yelling at her about working for Bill. And now she was saving them from him.

Dipper felt tears well up in his eyes and hung his head in shame as Stan hugged Mabel to him.

Ford's arm shook as he held the gun in front of Alane's face. He looked away, his eyes closed and lips trembling as if he were about to cry. Dipper had never seen his uncle look like that before.

"Just get it over with, Ford," Stan piped up when his brother still hadn't pulled the trigger.

He tightened his grip on the gun, taking a deep breath as he turned to look at Alane again. "Just... Pull the trigger," Dipper heard him mutter to himself.

Ford seemed just about to do it when suddenly, Alane's eyes flew open. "Liars!" She screeched, her voice no longer her own but rather Bill's. Startled by the sudden movement, Ford pulled the trigger. But Bill-Alane rolled out of the way of the blast before jumping to her feet and knocking the gun from Ford's hand.

"Deal's off, Alane," Bill sneered, looking up at a space just above Ford's shoulder as the rest of them looked on in horror. "Sixer never told you the equation! You tried to scam me. And because of that, I think I'll hang on to this body for a little while!"

"You can't do that, Bill!" Ford interjected. "You called the deal off; you no longer have permission to use Alane's body."

Bill rolled Alane's eyes. "Um, brainiac, I can do whatever I WANT! Because not only am I able to move in and out of Alane's mind as is, but she allowed me in. I can stay for as long as I want, I just can't take over again once I leave."

He rubbed his hands together, a too-big, toothy smile lighting up Alane's face. "Now, where was I? Oh yes, KILLING ONE OF YOU!"

Dipper had been making his way over to the memory gun when all of the sudden, Bill was behind him. He grabbed Dipper's vest, lifting him off the ground with it. "Let go of me!" He yelled.

"It's rather inconvenient that my powers don't work while in this body," Bill said as he looked at Dipper with menace in his eyes. The other three just stared at him as he struggled to get free of Bill. "But, hey, I got all the kid's powers now! And with the rift open, they're just about as powerful as my own!"

"Put Dipper down, you stupid triangle!" Mabel shouted angrily.

"You want me to put him down? SURE THING!" 

It happened too quickly. No one could've stopped it. As Bill had said the words, he'd lifted the struggling boy higher up, and once he'd ended, he brought him straight down.

Dipper's face slammed into the bricks, cracking them on impact. Mabel let out a horrified scream as Bill let go of her brother, who lay un-moving, blood flowing from him and into the cracks of the black rock. "Kid!" Stan shouted, as if unable to believe his eyes.

Bill looked up, that too big smile on his face once more. "Didn't I tell you things were gonna get fun real soon?"

"Dipper!" Mabel wailed, trying to run to her brother's body. But Ford stopped her, pulling her close to him and Stan as the other man covered his eyes, wiping tears away and making choking sounds. Mabel burst out into tears, falling to her knees and continuing to stare at Dipper.

"You've gotten the point across, Cipher," Ford said. His face was hard set but his eyes betrayed his grief and anger. "I'll give you the equation. Just let Alane go and bring Dipper back."

"Oh Sixer, Sixer, Sixer," Bill tutted, walking around them. "I can't bring you sacks of flesh and guts back from the dead! Especially not while in this body. Kid's dead and gone." He paused, the smile coming back. "And by the look of your face, I don't think it really got my point across. What's say, WE KILL THE OTHER ONE TOO?"

Before anyone could move, Bill had Alane's arm up and palm aimed at Mabel, exposing the open eye. That flicker of light Alane had showed them before appeared, but it grew brighter and the mass bigger. Then all of the sudden, a ray of light shot towards Mabel.

The poor girl screeched as she was launched across the room, her clothes and skin burning. She flew through the opening to the Fearamid, plummeting to the ground with a pained scream. The entire process only took about three seconds.

 _"Y-You son of a gun!"_ Stan exclaimed, rushing Bill-Alane as more tears began to stream down his face. But Bill stepped to the side as Stan threw a punch with his brass knuckles, and the man toppled onto the floor with a pained _'oof!'_

"Stop this, demon!" Ford shouted, taking a step towards Bill as he laughed at the fallen man, who was now curled up in a ball sobbing. Ford still wasn't crying, his expression pure anger. "You've done enough! Leave Alane's body and let me tell you the equation so we may end this!"

Bill turned to look at Ford, his face a sneer. "Not happening, smart guy. I see what you're trying to do! Get me out of the demented child's body so you two stand a fighting chance against me. Like I'm going to let _that_ happen!" 

The demon turned around, grabbing Stan by the back of his suit. The man didn't fight back, instead curling into a tighter ball as he continued to sob. As Ford watched in horror, Bill stomped Alane's foot, breaking away some of the brick floor and exposing air.

"You have ten seconds to tell me the equation, or else I drop him," he said, standing in front of the hole with Stanley on his left. "No deals, no leaving the kid's body."

"I'll tell you! I'll tell you! Just please, don't hurt him," Ford begged, his fearless demeanor finally breaking as he fell to his knees. His eyes were scared, pleading.

"See? THAT'S what I wanted to see! You on the ground, begging for mercy!" Bill laughed. "If you had just done that after I killed Pine Tree, you could've saved Shooting Star. It amazes me someone as smart as you can be SUCH AN IDIOT!

"Alright then, tell me." Bill motioned at Ford with that too-big smile. "What's the equation?"

"The equation." Bill and Ford both started as Stan suddenly spoke up. The demon looked down at him, and was met with the memory gun directly in his face. "Is me, plus this gun, equals one dead demon."

 _"WHAT?!"_ Bill shouted, letting go of Stan's jacket and intending to shove him away. But this time, Stan was was quicker, pulling the trigger.

The blast from the gun made contact right in their face, and sent Bill-Alane staggering back before collapsing to their knees and falling face-first onto the brick. Her hair spilled over the side of the hole they'd just broken into the floor.

"Good work, Stanley!" Ford said, kneeling down in front of his brother as the man dropped the memory gun. "Way to conceal the gun from Bill!"

"Yeah," he muttered, eyes going over to his nephew's body. "I just wasn't quick enough."

"Don't blame yourself, Stanley. This is my fault. I should've shot Alane with the memory gun while I could. But I was too weak and hesitated." Ford hung his head, putting his hands to his face. The wind outside of the Fearamid picked up and screams of monsters could be heard.

Stan put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Not shooting your friend in the face isn't weakness, Ford. It just shows that you've got a heart."

The two brothers shared small, pained smiles as suddenly the Fearamid shook. Stanford got to his feet quickly, helping his brother to stand as he begun to look around at the Fearamid. The tapestries fell from the ceiling, turning back into a bunch of disoriented people as the bricks began to crumble away beneath their feet.

"The Fearamid is collapsing!" Ford said as some bricks in the wall fell away, exposing what was happening outside. The monsters who'd come with Bill into the dimension were being sucked back into the rift, along with everything weird that'd been created. This included the Fearamid. "Everyone, stay close together!"

"Oh g- _Dipper!"_ Wendy shouted, rushing over to the boy. Soos was right behind her as she collapsed besides the mangled body, eyes streaming. She felt for a pulse before looking over at the brothers. "What happened?" She demanded, voice laced with rage.

"Bill," Ford said quietly as tears began to well in Stan's eyes once more.

"And Mabel?" Soos asked, looking around for the girl. When neither brother answered, the handyman covered his face and began to cry.

Below them, the bricks of the Fearamid were falling away quicker. The bricks supporting Alane's unconscious body crumbled, and the girl fell through the empty air.

"Alane!" Ford shouted, dropping to his knees by the hole as his friend disappeared.

The bricks beneath Ford's knees began to fall away, so Stan quickly pulled his brother back and towards the others. "Forget about her!" He told his brother, who was staring at where Alane had just been, his eyes empty pits of sadness. "Nothing we can do to help her now."

"She won't survive the fall," Ford murmured.

"Neither will we if these bricks fall away! So pull yourself together and tell us what to do!"

Ford looked slowly from his brother's pleading face to the others who sat gathered around them and Dipper. A few sobbed, and all looked like a bunch of frightened deer.

Taking a deep breath, Ford got to his feet. "Okay! Listen up!" He shouted over the wind. "Everyone, sit besides someone else and keep on a single brick. The Fearamid is lowering; we just need to keep on for as long as we can."

"What if we fall?" Pacifica asked, her eyes streaming.

"Doesn't matter. You can't fall. You _won't,_ " Ford said determinedly. "We're not losing anyone else today."


	53. Chapter Forty-Nine

As the Fearamid fell away, Alane plummeted towards the ground. Her hair billowed out behind her in a cloud of brown, her face slack and peaceful as she was unaware she was falling to her death.

First, she hit a tree. The pine's branches snapped against her body, slowing her fall but not by much, and the twiggy limbs cut up her exposed skin. Below the tree was an open space with a single boulder.

Of course Alane had to hit the boulder.

The girl slid down the side of the rock for a moment before toppling off, rag-doll like as she rolled across the grass and then fell still. Her chest was un-moving and her injuries did not heal. Not far off was the chard body of a small child, still smoldering in the dim light.

At first, the bodies just lay there, peaceful in death for the time being. But then the wind picked up and monsters flew over the field, screaming with fear and anger as they were sucked into the tear in the sky. Along with them went the Fearamid brick by brick until it was gone, small figures raining from where it once was.

As the figures fell the short distance to the ground, a ripple went out across the valley. The cracks in the earth were mended, the fires went out, everything that'd been turned alive now became inanimate once more. The bubbles of weirdness vanished as suddenly, it was light out again. The barrier was gone and all weirdness had been reversed.

Suddenly, there was a gasp from the little girl as she sat up, perfectly fine.

Mabel looked around in confusion as the scar in the sky vanished. As she rubbed her head, her gaze landed on Alane. The girl's seemingly lifeless body lay a few feet from the boulder, on which was a smear of her blood.

"Alane!" Mabel shouted, awkwardly getting to her feet as she ran over. She skidded to a stop besides the girl, falling to her knees as she stared at the body, unsure of what to do or if this was even her friend.

The bushes rustled to Mabel's right and she glanced over. Her heart leaped in her chest as she saw her brother, walking and perfectly fine, though he stumbled over a vine awkwardly. Dipper looked around the clearing before he spotted his sister. "Mabel!" He shouted happily, rushing over.

Mabel got to her feet and met Dipper half way, wrapping him in a hug. "I thought Bill killed you!" She sobbed, burying her face in her brother's shoulder.

"I thought so too," Dipper said, hugging his sister full-force. "But I guess not?" He glanced around the clearing. "Where are Stan and Ford?"

"I don't know," Mabel sniffed, pulling away from her brother. "But Dipper, you've gotta help me. It's Alane. I don't think... I don't think she's..." Mabel trailed off as tears began to run down her face.

Dipper's eyes widened. "I'm sure she's alright," Dipper soothed, putting his hands on Mabel's shoulders reassuringly. "I woke up on the top of that hill over there." He gestured behind him with his head. "Saw the entire town. Looks like everything Bill caused was reversed, which is probably why I'm fine now. If I can be brought back to life, I'm sure she can be too."

The girl and her brother walked over to Alane, who was still laying on the grass, her hair spread out around her. Mabel tilted her head slightly upon seeing Alane's perfect skin. She'd been sure her friend had been covered with scratches before.

Dipper knelt down besides Alane and tentatively put a hand forward to touch her neck. When he touched her skin, however, the girl's eyes flew open. Dipper let out a yell, stumbling back as Mabel crouched behind him.

Alane blinked her eyes quickly, as if the sun hurt them. Dipper stared at her, chest tight with fear. He'd thought her eyes were still yellow when she'd opened them, but now it was clear they were sky-blue.

From behind him, Mabel let out a choked sob. "Alane!" She exclaimed joyfully, rushing around her brother and tackling her friend in a hug once the girl had sat up.

"Oh, um, hello." Alane said, looking at Mabel in confusion. "Thank you for the hug?"

Mabel let go of Alane and took a step back, realization dawning on her face. "You don't... You don't know who I am, do you?" She asked quietly.

"Should I?" Alane asked, shifting herself so she sat cross-legged. "I'm terribly sorry if I should. I can't seem to recall much at the moment."

"They must've shot her with the memory gun to destroy Bill," Dipper said, coming up behind Mabel. "She doesn't remember anything."

Alane looked around them and up at the sky, blissful and curious. "Beautiful place we're at right now," she mused as silent tears ran down Mabel's face and Dipper looked on sadly. "Where are we exactly?"

"I'm not really sure," Dipper replied quietly, looking around. "Mabel, do you know where we are?"

"No, I-" the girl cut herself off at the sudden rustling of bushes nearby. The three of them looked over in time to see two men step through the foliage and into the clearing. 

"Stan! Ford!" Dipper exclaimed happily.

 _"Kids!"_ Stan shouted, running over to his niece and nephew. The man dropped to his knees as the two tackled him, all of them hugging and crying. "I thought I lost you two!"

"That wave that went over the valley must've reversed everything Bill caused these past few days," Ford realized, coming up behind them. He smiled as he rustled the two kids' hair. "Everything is back to normal again!"

Mabel sniffed, pulling away from Stan. "Not everything," she said sadly, looking over at Alane. The two men followed her gaze, noticing the girl for the first time.

Ford knelt down besides his brother, looking at Alane hopefully. "Alane? Do you know who we are?"

"No clue," she said with a hapless little shrug. "Should I?"

"N-No, I suppose not," Ford said quietly as he stood up. His expression was that of someone who'd just lost a friend, and he looked like he was about to cry. "I just hoped, since everything else was reversed..."

"At least she's alive," Stan said as his brother covered his face. "You said she wouldn't survive the fall, but here she is."

"But what's the point of her surviving if she doesn't remember anything?" Ford asked, stricken. "Now she's just a shell of the person she once was. She'll never remember our history together, or her time with you guys, or anything. It's just..." He trailed off, turning away from them. "She may as well be dead."

"Don't talk like that, Great Uncle Ford," Mabel said, stepping away from Stan and walking over to Alane. The other girl was examining a pebble that'd come off of the boulder behind her. "Maybe we can remind her about everything? Get her to remember who we all are?"

"It won't work," Ford muttered.

"We should try to anyway," Stan said, standing up. Joy filled tears still ran from his eyes as he smiled at his niece and nephew. "Let's take her back to the shack and see if we can help her to remember."

Mabel turned to Alane, offering her a hand. "Take my hand, okay?" Mabel said when Alane looked at it questioningly. The girl's eyes were still streaming, though less so than before.

She had no idea what was going on, but one look at Mabel's face and she took her hand. "Don't cry, please," Alane said, concern on her face. "There's nothing to be upset about. Unless, of course, I missed something... Did I miss something?"

Mabel just shook her head and led Alane over to Stan and Ford. Once they were over there, the group set off through the woods. As they walked, Dipper took up Alane's other hand in his own.

 _This is strange,_ Alane thought to herself, looking over the sad, tear-stained faces of the party. _It's like we were just at a funeral. Were we just at a funeral? I can't remember... Why can't I remember?_

They trekked through the forest for awhile before they arrived outside of a building in very bad shape. It looked windblown and had dozens of holes in the walls and roof.

"The place has... Character?" She offered. Mabel made a choking sound, and panic momentarily flared up inside of her. "D-Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's fine, you're fine," Dipper murmured, letting go of her hand and walking up the steps to the porch. Mabel led her up behind him as Dipper opened the door, having had to bust it in with his foot. Ford and Stan came up behind them and entered after they got inside.

Alane stood there silently, looking around. "Does the place ring any bells?" Dipper asked after a moment.

"No, not really..." She quickly looked over at Mabel to make sure she hadn't upset the girl again. But it looked like the tears had stopped, at least for now.

"There's gotta be something we can do to jog your memory," Mabel said quietly as she let go of Alane's hand.

"There isn't. I'm sorry. Alane's gone," Ford muttered. He looked like a lost puppy, standing next to his brother with a hand on his other arm.

But Mabel was determined. "She's gotta be in there somewhere!" She protested. "Something around here will jog her memory, I just know it!"

Alane watched as Mabel dug around in the mess that was the living room. She tilted her head, puzzled as to what the girl was doing.

Suddenly, Dipper gasped. "Hang on a second!" He said, turning to Alane. "Alane, check your pockets!"

"That's me, right?" She asked uncertainly. When Dipper nodded, she put her hands in her pockets, from which, she withdrew an inn key, a phone.

And her journal.

"Yes! Her diary!" Mabel said happily, running back over and snatching it from Alane. "She's been writing in it since she got here! It could jog her memory!"

"I don't know, kids..." Ford muttered, giving Stan a sideways glance. "Don't... Don't get your hopes up."

"C'mon, Alane, come sit down," Mabel said, tugging her friend over to Stan's chair. But Alane was distracted.

"What is this?" She asked, looking at the phone which she still held. Something inside of her made her feel like it was important.

"That's your phone," Dipper said with a sigh. "Don't bother trying to open it, there's a password. You wouldn't happen to know it, would you, Great Uncle Ford?" Dipper asked, turning to his uncle.

Alane looked at him sideways as he shook his head. "She never told me. Said it was personal."

"Hmm," she mused, opening the phone.

 _"Hello, Alane."_ The screen read in bold letters as the keypad lit up. _"Please enter password."_ The screen switched to a box with dividers in it. Looked like you could input four letters or numbers.

Alane looked up, her expression confused. "What is it?" Mabel asked, still holding Alane's book.

"I just... I feel like I need to get in here," she said, sounding just as confused as she looked as she glanced back down at the phone. "Only problem is, I can't seem to recall my password, or anything that might fit..." She looked around at everyone. "Tell me, how do we all know each other?"

"We're your friends, Alane," Dipper said with a small smile.

"Friendship is personal, correct?" She asked, genuinely unsure if it was or not. "How long are your names?"

"None of our names would fit in there, kid," Stan said heavily.

She frowned. "What about just part of a name? Like a nickname?"

Ford gently pushed the phone down, causing Alane to look up at him questioningly. "Don't bother," he sighed. "Let's try Mabel's idea to jog your memory, and maybe then you'll remember the password."

"Let her at least try, Grunkle Ford," Mabel told him.

 _Ford..._ Alane rolled the name over in her head. That was four letters. Right? She was pretty sure it was. Raising the phone back up, she looked at the tiny keyboard. "F... O... R... D..." She murmured, typing the letters in before pressing "enter."

 _"Welcome,"_ the phone read, switching from the password to her background, a yellow screen with a sunflower in a corner. Apps slowly began to load up.

"Hold on," Dipper said, looking at the phone in surprise. "That was the password? 'Ford?'"

"Excuse me," Alane said, turning to Ford with her phone. The man looked a little emotional at the moment. "We seem to know each other well, or at least decently. Do you happen to know what this means?" She gestured to her phone.

After the old machine had loaded her background and apps, something new had popped up. Ford shook his head slightly, taking the phone gently from her. He furrowed his brow. "'Video Diary?'" He read allowed, thumb moving as he pressed something. "Seems there's one entry... The date is from today."

"Read it," Mabel said quickly. "Or, I guess play it. It could help Alane remember who she is!"

"Are you alright with us looking at the entry?" Ford asked Alane.

"Yes?" She said, narrowing her eyes a bit. Was that the correct answer?

Ford selected the entry and started it up. "Hello, hello," came a voice that Alane thought sounded a lot like her's. She stood on her tip-toes to see the screen, and after muttering an apology, Ford lowered the phone so she and the twins could see the video was well.

"Alright, so," the Alane on screen said, glancing around on the video. "In Bill's Fearamid. It's a pretty gruesome place. He seriously needs to learn interior decorating. Okay, enough kidding around." She took a deep breath. "This video is for the eyes of anyone but me. If I'm there, tell me to go away. You guys got five seconds before I continue."

"Looks like I'm leaving," Alane said, walking away further into the house and sitting down when the video made only unintelligible murmurs. A random pig walked over from the hall of the house and sat by her lap.

 

"I better be gone because I'm going to continue now," the Alane said seriously. Dipper felt a little tinge of excitement about what the video might be about.

"So. Been listening to these two idiots talk." The phone turned to show Ford and Stan standing in the cage Bill had them in earlier. "Don't get me wrong, I love 'em, but they're idiots. Anyway, they're talking about a way out of this that involves erasing someone's memory. I'm deciding right now that the person who gets their mind erased will be me.

"I seriously need this to happen. I'm a complete mess and I need a redo," Alane said. "I've always wanted to be a normal person with a normal life, too, so it's a triple win for me. I get to forget all Bill's tricks, all the stupid things I've done that have gotten people hurt, and I get to be normal, even if just for a short time."

Alane was speaking quickly as she said this next part. "Ford said everything Bill has done will be reversed. I'm not sure if what he did to me will be or not, since he did it thousands of years ago. If it is, then awesome, but if not, it means I can heal still. My memory should recover, at least partially, over time. Don't stress too much about it, guys. I know you are. Especially you, Mabel. Oh, and you guys can tell whether or not I'm still 'cursed' by if I got the tattoos. If I really am just human, they should be gone if it's reserved.

"I have a serious request though. Please, do not try to jog my memory if I can still heal." Dipper uttered a quiet gasp of surprise. "You guys can tell me things I've done with you all, but please, let me believe I'm a normal human with a normal lifespan and no freaky powers for as long as possible. I'd really appreciate it. Once I do start to remember I'm not normal, you can use my diary to fill in some gaps. But only after."

Alane glanced up from the phone for a split second. "Okay, you guys are just about done arguing about what to do, I think. Do me a favor, Mr. Pines and Ford. Make up? Siblings really shouldn't fight for as long as you guys have been.

"Oh, and final thing," Alane said quickly. "Don't worry about me. Really, I'll be fine, even without my memories. Just keep me in Gravity Falls. I know I'm surrounded by friends here."

Alane smiled. "And thanks, guys. The time I've spent with you all has been amazing, and I look forward to making even more great memories to replace those I'm about to lose when this is all over."

With that, the video cut out.

"She couldn't have really meant that. Right?" Mabel looked around at everyone. "She must've been joking, or saying that to make us feel better about her doing this, or something. She couldn't have really meant she wanted to forget her entire life."

Ford let out a low sigh. "I think she meant it, Mabel," he said, shutting the phone and handing it to her. "Alane doesn't want to remember."

"What do we do with this, then?" She asked, looking at the diary she still held.

"She did say we could remind her about us," Dipper said, nudging his sister. "Just skip to when she arrived at Gravity Falls and go from there. We should probably not mention the bits about Bill and stuff though."

"Before we do anything," Ford said, looking over at Alane. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, stroking Waddles' head with the back of her hand. "We have got to see if she still has the tattoos."

Dipper walked over to Alane and knelt down in front of her. She looked at him questioningly as Waddles moved to lay in her lap. "Video over?" She asked.

"Yeah," Dipper said as he motioned to her hands. "You told us to check and see if you have something on your hands. Mind showing me your palms?"

Alane obliged, holding out her hands to him. On them were two closed eyes. "What are they?" Alane asked in confusion.

"Uh." Dipper looked back at the others, giving them a short nod before turning back to Alane. "They're birthmarks. Identical birthmarks on your hands."

"Interesting," she murmured, examining her palms as Dipper got back to his feet and walked over to his family.

"She can still heal," he confirmed. "So she'll start to remember things eventually as her mind repairs itself."

"So what do we do until then?" Mabel asked haplessly.

Stan put a hand on her shoulder. "Now, you and your brother help her remember some of who she is."

"What about you and Ford? Aren't you two going to help as well?" Dipper asked, looking at Ford. "You did know her long before we did."

"I can't help you guys," he said sorrowfully. "If she remembers our brief friendship in college, it'll start to occur to her just how old she is. And besides..." He looked around the shack with a humorless laugh. "We've got a lot of cleaning to do."

"Why don't you kids go see what condition the attic is in?" Stan suggested. "While you're up there, you can start telling her about all the stuff you guys did together."

Mabel nodded quickly before walking over to Alane. She held Alane's phone and diary in one arm and extended the other to help the girl to her feet. Waddles hopped out of her lap as Alane took Mabel's hand and stood.

Dipper cleared a path to the stairs, kicking debris and broken furniture out of the way for his sister and Alane. The stairs were in pretty bad condition, but they got up them and to the attic fairly easy.

The attic space was in better condition than downstairs, given that there was no furniture to break. There were a couple broken boards on the floor and a beam had fallen from the roof, but other than that it was fine.

He walked ahead of the two girls, testing the floorboards as he went. Though the floor looked mostly in tact, he didn't want to risk Alane, or even worse, Mabel, falling through and into the wreckage downstairs.

Despite his worries, the floor was fine and they got to the bedroom door without any injuries. Dipper opened it up, having to shove it because debris were piled up on the other side. Dipper walked in, closely followed by Mabel and then Alane.

Their room... Nothing looked to be broken, aside from the glass window across from them. But it was an absolute mess; Mabel's stuffed animals were strewn about, Dipper's papers fluttered around in the breeze from the door, and the once perfectly stacked pile of boxes under the loft was now more like a pile of trash.

Taking a deep breath, Dipper ignored the mess and walked over to his bed before sitting down.

"So, what was the video about?" Alane asked, breaking the long silence.

"Just you telling us how we can help you," Mabel said, leading Alane to her bed and sitting her down among the remaining stuffed animals.

"What exactly happened to me?" Alane asked, raising an eyebrow as she wrapped her arms around her middle, as if giving herself a hug.

Mabel sat down besides her with a small smile on her face. "You sacrificed your memories to save us from this jerk called Bill. You saved the entire town, the world even."

"Bill?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. "Sounds... Familiar..." The girl trailed off, looking at the ground.

 _Of course she's going to remember Bill before she remembers all of us,_ Dipper thought with a sigh. "We're going to help you remember most of what you've forgotten," Dipper told her, snapping Alane from her thoughts.

"How?" She asked, tilting her head at them.

"With this!" Mabel said, raising up Alane's diary. "You've been writing about your time her for like two or three weeks now. Even if you don't remember everything, this should help you remember who we are at least."

Alane smiled. "Thank you, uh, Mabel?" Dipper felt a little twinge of sorrow at seeing the look on Alane's face. The girl was trying so hard to remember his sister...

"Yes, I'm Mabel," Mabel said with a smile, looking over at Dipper. "That's my brother Dipper."

She nodded slowly. "Mabel and Dipper, got it. And the man downstairs who I knew? His name is Ford?"

"It's Stanford, but you call him Ford," Dipper said. "The other guy is his brother Stanley."

Alane smiled again, this time, rather than a happy smile, it was her familiar goofy one. "Don't be offended if I have to write your names on my arm, please," she laughed. "I should remember them, but remembering who's who... That might be a bit trickier."

"It's cool," Mabel said, shooting Alane a braces-filled smile before opening up her diary. She glanced up at Dipper. "Bro bro, you gonna come over here or join in from across the room?"

Face reddening a bit, Dipper hopped off his bed and walked over. He sat on Mabel's right side, having to push a few stuffed animals out of the way.

Mabel cleared her throat as she began. "'I arrived in a small town called Gravity Falls not long ago. I met some nice teenagers in town, who introduced me to two twins named Mabel and Dipper Pines...'"


	54. Chapter Fifty

Alane's blue eyes reflected back at her in the mirror as she studied her own face. While she tried to memorize how she looked, she did up her hair in a pony tail. Two strands of hair didn't get pulled up with it though, falling onto either side of her face. She looked at herself for a moment before deciding to keep it. It seemed... Right.

It'd been just about a week since she woke up in the woods without her memory. She'd been swamped by people asking her questions every time she left the house, so she just didn't leave any more. Not because she didn't like the attention, but because she had no idea what they were talking about. Like, what was a "Weirdmageddon?" And why was she constantly being questioned about someone called Bill?

The name was incredibly familiar, but she had no idea who the person was. After the third or so inquiry about him, she'd gone to Mabel and Dipper to ask them about him.

"Don't worry about that," Mabel had said. "He was just a guy you considered your family for awhile. But he was a butt head, and now he's gone." 

"My family?" She'd asked, puzzled. "Do I have a family?"

 _"We're_ your family," Dipper had told her, putting an arm around his sister. She'd smiled at that.

But she still wanted to know who this "Bill" was.

Taking a deep breath, Alane snapped herself out of her thoughts and faced the mirror. Those blue eyes staring back at her... She could've sworn they'd just been yellow. After staring at them for a moment however, she just shrugged.

"My name is Alane," she started, concentrating on her reflection. "I'm fourteen years old. I live in Gravity Falls, Oregon. My friends are Mabel, Dipper, Stanford, Stanley..." She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. "Soos, Wendy and Fiddleford."

Ford had come up with the idea of going over everything she remembered each morning. He'd said it would help her regain some of her memory, or at least retain everything people were reminding her of. It was working so far, but the names... She was not good with the names.

She looked at the mirror again. "I am a human. I am a girl. My favorite food is pancakes and I like to knit. I'm a fan of the artist Leonardo da Vinci and also Norse mythology and history. I am a hobbyist inventor and writer."

Was that it? She thought about it a moment before nodding. Yup, said everything. Alane quickly straightened her brown crop sweater, making sure she looked presentable. She didn't want to attend Mabel and Dipper's thirteenth birthday party looking like she'd just woken up. Which, she actually just had.

She left the bathroom, walking out into the attic before heading down the newly-repaired stairs. The townsfolk had helped them repair the shack during the past few days and now it was looking more like a house. Alane had done a good amount to help. Turns out she was pretty good with a hammer.

The smell of cake and party foods like chips and salsa filled her nose. She took a long breath before sighing happily, a smile lighting up her face as she walked into the living room.

No one was present, but the television was turned on. "Good morning, Gravity Falls," the local newswoman said. "It's another beautiful day, but every day is beautiful now that the... Unpleasantness is over."

The screen cut to a clip of the mayor from the day before, standing on a stage at the center of town. "None of us really understand what just happened and none of us want to. That's why I'm passing the Never Mind All That Act. If anyone goes asking around about the 'events' of the last few days, what do we say?" He said into a microphone as a banner dropped down behind him.

"Never mind all that!" The crowd cheered.

"And if you break the rules, we're gonna zap you," the sheriff said from behind the mayor, holding a taser.

Deputy Durland hopped from foot to foot besides him, waving around his taser. "Zap! Zap! We're mad with power!" He laughed.

The two suddenly stopped, dropping their tasers before turning to each other. "And love," they both said.

 _Cute,_ Alane thought with a grin as the news cut to a picture of a mansion.

"In other news, the Northwest family has gone broke. After pledging his allegiance to Bill and then placing all his savings in weirdness bonds, Preston Northwest had to sell his mansion to preserve his family fortune.

"But fortunes have also turned for local maniac, Fiddleford McGucket, who, after regaining his sanity, has made millions overnight submitting his patents to the US government."

The picture cut to the old man standing in town. "I'm gonna buy me a bigger shed!" He hooted, turning around and pointing at the Northwest Manor. "Hey, that one's for sale!"

"In other good news, town hero, Alane..." She glanced off camera and whispered, "What's her last name?" Someone said something and the woman looked back at the camera, shrugging. "Is on the road to recovering her memory. She and also-heroes Stanford and Stanley Pines will be throwing a party to celebrate visiting twins Mabel and Dipper's thirteenth birthday and final day in town. But other than that, I can safely say our beloved Gravity Falls is back to normal."

Alane left the room with a grin on her face as the news switched to sports. No one appeared to be inside, so she walked outside. The sound of singing filled her ears, so she walked around the house, coming up besides the other porch. Dipper and Mabel stood there in front of a large cake as the crowd of almost everyone from town sang "Happy Birthday" to them.

Stanley and Stanford stood off to the side of the porch, smiling at the twins. Alane stepped up besides them. "Sorry for taking so long," she murmured apologetically.

"It's fine," Ford said with a smile.

"Yeah, you just missed the town's awful singing," Stan laughed.

Alane grinned as Mabel began to speak. "I can't believe you all got together just to throw a party for us," she said with a happy smile.

"After all the Pines family has done for the town, it's the least we could do. You've helped everyone here," Mayor Tyler said with a similar smile.

"Thanks to y'all savin' us, I'm gonna learn to open my heart to kindness," Gideon said happily. "No more evil-doin'. From now on, I'm gonna try to be Li'l Gideon, regular ol' kid."

"Oh my gosh that kid is adorable," Alane muttered.

"Dude! Make a wish, dawg!" Soos shouted from the crowd.

"You know, on my first day here, if you had asked me what I wanted, I would have said, 'adventure, mystery, true friends.' But looking here at all of you I realize that every wish came true." He paused to chuckle. "I have everything I wanted."

"If I had only one wish it would be to shrink all of you with the shrink ray and bring you home with us in my pocket. But since that's impossible..." She glanced over at Ford. " _Is_ that impossible?"

Alane watched as Ford waved his hand up and down and shrugged.

"Since that's _probably_ impossible, my only wish is for everyone to sign my scrapbook. I'll never forget you guys. Wait." She pulled the memory gun from her sweater, putting it on the porch before smashing it with a foot. "Now I'll never forget you guys," she laughed. She and Dipper blew out their candles and everyone cheered.

Wendy jumped up onto the porch and gave the twins a hug. "I now officially declare you technically teenagers. Welcome to angst and acne forever," she laughed.

"One of us! One of us!" The other teenagers chanted from in the crowd.

The sheriff and deputy set off a canon, laughing happily.

"So how do you feel?" Soos asked, stepping up onto the porch as well.

"Same-y, but different-y," Mabel replied with a grin.

"Hey, you two. When are you gonna open your presents already? I broke a nail wrapping them." Pacifica held up her hands, which were still covered in tape.

Mabel laughed, "Pacifica."

Stan and the crowd began to clap as the twins each picked up a present to unwrap. Alane joined in, pausing only a second as Ford tugged at his brother's shirt sleeve. "Stanley, I need to talk to you," Ford whispered before leading his brother off and around the house.

Alane knew she shouldn't eves drop, but the two were still in earshot when they began to talk, and she couldn't help but overhear. "I didn't wanna say anything with everyone listening, but we've got a problem. Weirdmageddon has been contained but I'm detecting some strange new anomalies near the arctic ocean," Ford was saying. "I want to go investigate it but I think I might be too old to go in alone."

"Are you sayin' you need someone to help you sail around the world in the adventure of a lifetime?" Stan asked his brother.

"I don't just want _someone_ to come with me Stanley, I want it to be you." There was a short pause. "Will you give me a second chance?"

Alane tuned them out, smiling to herself happily as Soos walked around the house. She wasn't sure why, but she was really happy they were doing something together.

After the cake was cut and plates were handed out to everyone, Alane walked over to Mabel and Dipper. The two were chatting and she was waiting for a chance to join in on the conversation when Ford and Stan came back up onto the porch.

Stan tapped a Pitt Cola can with a fork, getting everyone's attention. "Everyone. I have an announcement to make. Me and my... Heh! Nerdy bro over here have some catchin' up to do." Stan put an arm around Ford's shoulder. "We're gonna be away for a while. That's why I'm shutting down the Mystery Shack for good."

The crowd began to mutter amongst themselves as Soos jumped onto the porch. "You shut down your _mouth_ for good!" Soos said, pointing at Stan, who looked surprised. "I'm sorry, Mr. Pines. It's just that this shack is the most magical place on Earth. Sure, the attractions are all fake, but dreams aren't fake! You shut down this shack, and you shut down our dreams! At least... My dreams." Soos took his hat off and looked sadly at the ground.

"I'm sorry, Soos. It's just, there's no one around to run it." Stan walked over and put a hand on Soos' shoulder. Something suddenly seemed to occur to him. "At least, there _wouldn't_ be if I hadn't just found the perfect replacement."

Soos' eyes widened as Stan took his fez off and put it on the handyman's head. Soos looked up at his new hat, a genuine look of awe on his face as Stan turned to the crowd. "Ladies and gentleman, the Mystery Shack is under new management!"

The crowd cheered as Soos turned to his old boss. "You... You mean it, Mr. Mystery?" He asked.

"You're Mr. Mystery now, Soos. Try not to burn the place down," Stan laughed.

"How sweet," Alane said happily as Soos hugged the old man.

 

Their birthday party was an absolute blast, and for a few hours, Dipper was the happiest he'd been in weeks. But that evening, they were at the bus stop, awaiting the bus that'd take them back to California.

"Do you really have to go? There's still so much we haven't done together," Candy asked Mabel.

"Summer's over, Candy. It's time for us to grow up," Mabel replied.

"But not too much." Dipper nudged his sister playfully, earning a smile from her.

"Aaah! I hate my dumb heart for making me feel things." Grenda began to punch herself . "Cut. It. Out. Heart!"

"Hey, can you punch my heart, too?" Soos asked the girl.

"No, mine! Punch _my_ feelings away," Candy said, walking over.

Mabel turned to look at Alane. "You going to be alright in Gravity Falls with all of us leaving?"

"I'll be fine, don't worry," Alane told her with a small smile. "Ford and Stanley can't stay away at sea forever, and I'll see you guys again. I know it. But until then, Soos said he'd be cool with me staying at the shack with him, so I still got a place to stay."

"Good. Wouldn't want you living in the woods again," Dipper laughed.

"What?" Alane asked, looking at him.

"Nothing, nothing," he said quickly.

As Mabel walked over to Candy and Grenda to say her goodbyes, Wendy walked over to him. "Hey, you mean a lot to me, man," she said as she knelt down besides him.

They fist-bumped. "You, too," he replied.

To Dipper's surprise, Wendy took his hat, replacing it with her own. "Something to remember me by," she said as she put on his pine tree cap. "Oh, and this. Read it the next time you miss Gravity Falls." She slipped him a letter before standing up.

A bus rolled up to the stop, the doors opening. "Last bus leaving Gravity Falls. All aboard," the driver said.

"Guess we've said goodbye to everyone except..." Mabel's eyes landed on her pet pig, whom she walked over to and crouched in front of. "Waddles. I-I don't know how to explain this but..." She sighed heavily. "Mom and Dad won't let me bring a pig home to California so... You have to stay here!"

Waddles tugged at Mabel's shirt as she started to stand. "Come on. Come on. I have to go. I'm... I'm sorry, Waddles," she told her pig, beginning to cry as she pushed him away.

"Agh! You know what? Forget it! I lived with this pig all summer, now _your_ parents are gonna have to." Stan picked Waddles up, carrying him to the bus and putting him inside. "Hey, bus guy! This pig is comin' with the kids."

"Now, hold on a second. Bringing animals aboard a moving vehicle is strictly prohibited by-" The man cut himself off as Stan held up a fist with brass knuckles. Ford came up besides him, showing the man his gun. "Wah... Welcome aboard. You can sit in the front row, pig," the man said, nervously looking at the weapons.

Once Waddles was walking back into the bus, Stan crouched by Dipper and Mabel. "Kids, you knuckleheads were nothin' but a nuisance and I'm glad to be rid of ya," he said jokingly, tears in his eyes.

"We'll miss you too, Grunkle Stan," Mabel said as she and Dipper hugged their uncle. When the two let go, they walked over to the bus.

Dipper looked at his sister. "Ready to head into the unknown?"

"Nope," she replied with a grin. "Let's do it."

The two boarded the bus with their bags and the door closed behind them. As the vehicle began to pull away, they ran to the back, waving at their friends and family whom ran after them, shouting their farewells.

"Bye! Bye, everybody! We'll miss you!" Mabel called through the glass.

"Bye! I'll miss you guys, too!" Dipper called.

They fell behind the bus one by one as it gained speed. The last one running after them was Alane, who shot them a mock salute before she too was left in the dust behind them.

Dipper felt worry building up inside of him as the trees went by the windows and he and Mabel took their seats. A new school year was starting soon, they'd be meeting new people, making new friends... But what about everyone they were leaving behind?

 _Great Uncle Ford and Grunkle Stan will be fine,_ he thought, looking out the window. _They're going on an adventure, just like they wanted to when they were kids. But what about everyone staying here?_

He began to think about all the people in town and what they were going to be doing. One person in particular came to mind: Alane.

Ford had said that the unicorn hair he'd glued to the shack had come undone, and Alane could now move in and out of the house freely once more, so that was something. But what about her memories? What if she remembers what she is? What if she has a breakdown and doesn't know what to do?

Dipper sighed, looking down at the letter he held in his hands, trying to distract himself from his thoughts. As he looked at it, he decided to open it.

Tearing the envelope gently, he pulled out a folded piece of paper. When he unfolded it, bold, blue-ish black letters met his gaze. "See you next summer!" It read. All around the paper were names of friends in town; there was Wendy's name in red, Candy and Grenda had signed in glittery ink, both his uncles' names were on it. Dipper felt himself smile.

Only, the smile dropped away as he spotted a note on the bottom left corner of it. The letter fluttered to the floor of the bus as he went rigid, his eyes wide and frightened.

"Seeya real soon, Pine Tree and Shooting Star," read Alane's familiar curly writing with a hint of jaggedness to it in bright yellow ink.


	55. Epilogue

Ah. Gravity Falls, Oregon. Alane gazed up at the trees as she blissfully thought about the town. Had to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, especially this time of year.

It'd been a week since the twins had left for California. She'd gotten a letter from Mabel almost right away; the girl had said that she and her brother were doing well, school was boring and she couldn't wait to come back to visit during their winter break. Alane had sent her a reply letter, but it was short. Not like she had much to write about, considering the kids had been gone but for a few days, and all she ever did was go on her walks.

Things had taken a turn for the even more boring because the morning before, Stanley and Ford had left for their trip. Ford had said that odds were they'd be gone for two months, but their trip could run longer. So now that her buddies were gone and Wendy was in school again, she only had Soos to hang out with on a daily bases, and he was always busy running the gift shop.

 _Perhaps I should enroll in the school here?_ Alane thought as she kicked at a pebble. She had asked Ford about it before, and he had said she'd already had an extensive education and didn't have to attend. But what with everyone being gone or busy, she didn't really have anything better to do.

 _I'll ask Soos about it tonight, see what he thinks,_ she eventually decided. _He's lived here his entire life. He should know if the school is worth attending or not._

With that decided upon, Alane put her hands in her pockets and continued on her walk, the brittle crunch of leaves beneath her feet the only noise in the forest. It was so pretty, so peaceful, so undisturbed...

Alane paused in her tracks, foot raised to take another step as she turned to her right. She was just outside of town and through the trees she could make out a structure and the road. But that wasn't what she was looking at. There in the leaves, Alane spotted something red and gold.

"Someone must have littered," she muttered, dropping her foot to the ground before walking off her path and towards the object. She knelt down, picking up the red object laced with gold around the edges and stood.

Only, when she took the object with her, she discovered it was more than a piece of trash. The object was large and square, and upon brushing the dirt and leaves off the top, she discovered a metallic hand with a number one on it.

 _Everything Bill did was reversed._ The words rang through her head, startling her as she hadn't meant to think them. Alane stood there looking at the book for a moment more before looking back at where it had been on the ground.

There, covered in leaves as well, were two other books of similar design.

 _These seem familiar,_ she thought, kneeling back down and brushing the other two books clean. These hands had the numbers two and three on them. _Why do they seem familiar? Were they mine?_

Alane took the other two books and put them on top of the one she held. It had rained in the night so all three books were damp and musty smelling, the covers smeared with dirt.

 _I should get these back to the shack and clean them,_ she thought determinedly, standing back up. She'd expected the three books to be heavy, but oddly enough, carrying three was no harder than carrying the one. _I'll need to wash the dirt from the covers and go over the inside pages with a hairdryer to make sure the pages aren't wet..._

Lost in thought now, Alane turned around and began to walk down the path, back towards the shack. Only, she stumbled over a root and the books flew out of her arms. She made a desperate grab for them, only to fall onto the path as well.

"The picture of grace, as usual," she murmured to herself, rubbing her palm which she'd just scraped on the ground. "Bet I just busted up the bo..." She trailed off, her eyes going to an open book before her.

The paper was old and yellow, it's pages torn at some places. Everything on it looked hand written, mainly in cursive with a few notes in plain text. It would just look like any old journal, if not for what appeared to be blood stains on it and the large depiction of a triangle shaped creature.

"'Bill Cipher,'" Alane read aloud, eyes widening as she stared at the triangle.

Bill.

It was Bill.

How did she forget Bill?

She let out an anguished scream, putting her hands to her ears and doubling over as a sudden pain filled her head. The pain was sharp and sudden, like being stabbed in the head with a dull blade, and it only grew more pronounced as the seconds ticked by.

A minute passed and Alane was still there on the path screaming when she suddenly stopped. Her body was shaking violently as she slowly lowered her hands from her head and put them on the ground. She dug her fingers into the dirt.

She remained in that position, trembling all over as a sobbing sound escaped from her. But as it grew in volume, it turned into a maniacal laugh, which only got louder as Alane crawled towards the open books.

Her previous concern for damaging the books gone, Alane roughly threw open the closest one to the marked page, then the next, then turned the page on the one depicting Bill. Once all the books were open, she pushed them close together, creating a blueprint for a portal.

Alane stared down at the books, continuing to laugh loudly. "Here we go again," she said in a voice that was not her own.

And when she blinked her eyes... They reopened as yellow, her pupils black, soulless slits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, wow. This has got to be the longest book I've ever written. And? I'm in the process of writing a prequel _and_ a sequel to it! Sequel might take awhile to finish, I've got big plans for it, but the prequel should be out in a month if anyone would be interested in reading it? *shrug*
> 
> Anywho, I hope you've enjoyed the book! It really took me awhile to work up the nerve to make it available for people to read. I'm honestly not the most confident with my writing, and I wasn't sure if people would even like this. :P


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